'Inactive' courts: SHC de-notifies anti-terrorism court judge

Salman Ansari requests withdrawal from assignment for personal reasons

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) has de-notified the judge of an anti-terrorism court (ATC) on his own request, leaving two out of the 10 special courts in Karachi non-functional, The Express Tribune learned on Saturday.

Sources said that the high court recently de-notified former district and sessions judge Salman Ansari, who was appointed as a judge to one of the five newly created ATCs in the city.

An official, who was part of the process and did not wish to be identified, explained that Ansari had cited personal reasons for his withdrawal from the assignment.

The SHC had appointed two former district judges, including Ansari, and one sitting district judge to the ATCs in February in an attempt to make the newly created special courts functional.



The provincial government had created the five new courts, raising the total number of ATCs in the city to 10, in compliance with the Supreme Court's directives to try and punish suspects through quick disposal - a prerequisite for improving the deteriorating law and order situation in the metropolis.

However, the new ATCs remained inoperative for months as the government delayed the provision of accommodation and other basic facilities such as staff and furniture, despite the fact that the SHC chief justice had already nominated the judges.

"Work started at four of the new ATCs a couple of months ago after the government finally bothered to provide facilities," said an official who requested not to be named. "One still remained non-functional."

He added that with the de-notification of Ansari, who has reportedly been selected for appointment to the federal service tribunal, two ATCs are now inactive.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 16^th, 2014.