High Court Orders Groundbreaking Reforms for Orphanages Nationwide

The Abbottabad Bench of the Peshawar High Court dismissed a writ petition challenging the election of the Governing Body of Idara Tadreesul Quran orphanage in Abbottabad. The bench, comprising Justice Sadiq Ali and Justice Syed Muddasir Ameer, issued extensive directives aimed at strengthening oversight, transparency, and child welfare standards across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s orphanages.

The petition was filed by Ghulam Mustafa Khan Jadoon challenging the legality of the orphanage’s chairman election. The bench held that Jadoon failed to demonstrate any legal grievance warranting constitutional jurisdiction under Article 199 of the Constitution. Jadoon had not applied for membership in the orphanage’s general body despite public advertisements issued prior to the election, which barred him from having locus standi.

Justice Sadiq Ali observed that Jadoon neither showed a violation of statutory provisions nor proved that the respondents acted beyond their lawful authority. The judgment cited several Supreme Court precedents emphasizing strict legal requirements for writ petitions, mandamus orders, and public interest litigation.

The bench also took issue with allegations made by one respondent against Jadoon’s counsel, Sardar Aman Khan and Shabnam Nawaz. It termed these accusations “baseless, unfounded, and motivated,” ordering the offending paragraphs to be expunged from the record. The bench noted that such assertions undermine the legal profession’s dignity and constitute an abuse of judicial proceedings.