Following katcheri attack: City courts to be adjusted in two separate premises

Interior ministry submits report in SC regarding implementation of probe commission’s recommendations

ISLAMABAD:

The capital administration is planning to shift the Islamabad District Courts into two premises to be established in different sectors of the city.

In response to the Supreme Court’s October 14 order, the Ministry of Interior on Tuesday submitted a report in the apex court about steps taken regarding the implementation of the recommendations of a one-man commission on the gun and bomb attack on the F-8 courts on March 3 this year.

The commission was headed by Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Sajid Ilyas Bhatti submitted the report on behalf of the interior ministry before the three-judge bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Nasirul Mulk.

Giving details about the report, an official told The Express Tribune that the federal government has decided to shift the Islamabad district courts from F-8 markaz to two campuses.

He says the government has allocated five acres in Sector G-11 for establishing the ‘Islamabad District Courts East’ and will be shifting the District Courts West in Sector G-10, where IHC is based. The high court will be shifted near Constitution Avenue, where land has already been acquired for the purpose. The report also reveals that the government will build a housing colony for the district court judges.

The official further said the government is not willing to increase the compensation amount of victims in view of the inquiry commission’s report.

The bench, however, returned the report to the DAG and directed the government to file a comprehensive report over implementation of the recommendations suggested by the commission.

The court also decided to give copies of the commission’s report to the DAG as well as the Islamabad district and high court bar association presidents for their inputs. It further asked the interior ministry to submit a reply in view of the report as well. The hearing of the case was adjourned until November 12.

Meanwhile, IHC Bar Association President Mohsin Kayani told The Express Tribune that believed the inquiry commission’s report is now a public document as the court did not give any instructions of keeping it secret.

Similarly, Islamabad District Court Bar Association President Naseer Ahmad Kayani expressed dissatisfaction over the government’s steps regarding the implementation of the commission’s recommendations.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2014.