Lahore bar ‘dissatisfied with security committee’s meeting’

LBA expresses its concerns about shortage and poor training of personnel assigned security duties at courts

LAHORE: Lahore Bar Association (LBA) representatives have expressed their dissatisfaction with the first meeting of the District Security Committee, saying that no decisions were taken at the forum for improving security measures at district courts.

The meeting was attended by District and Sessions Judge Nazir Ahmad Gajana, chairman of the Lahore District Security Committee; Additional District and Sessions Judges Sher Abbas Awan and Shazeb Saeed; LBA president Arshad Jahangir Jhoja and secretaries Shahid Nawab Cheema and Naeem Chohan; the Lahore SSP; and the Security SP and the relevant DSP.

Talking to The Express Tribune on Saturday, Cheema said that it seemed that the committee was not willing to enhance security arrangements for district courts.

He said the LBA had expressed its concerns about shortage and poor training of personnel assigned security duties at courts and outdated walk-through gates.

He said the meeting had been told that it was a routine for litigants to bring along irrelevant people to hearings. There was a suggestion that only litigants should be allowed on the court premises, he said. He said lawyers could convey the idea to their clients.

He said the meeting had also discussed proposals about issuing identity cards to the administrative staff working in lawyers’ chambers or requiring them to wear a uniform. This would help distinguish them from litigants, he said.  He said DSJ Nazir Ahmad Gajana had assured the committee that directions would be issued to authorities concerned for foolproof security measures at the court premises.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 14^th, 2016.