Punjab

Judicial matters: CJ denies separating Sahiwal, DG Khan from LHC bench

High court chief justice has already constituted separate single benches

Our Correspondent September 20, 2016

Another resolution stated that LHC’s Multan bench was legally founded 36 years ago so that it should not be abolished or changed. PHOTO: EXPRESS

MULTAN: The chief justice of Lahore High Court (LHC) has denied separating Sahiwal and Dera Ghazi Khan divisions from the high court’s Multan bench. This was said by President Multan High Court Bar Jamshaid Hayat said after negotiations with Lahore High Court Chief Justice Mansoor Ali Shah.

Shah has denied constituting any separate benches for Dera Ghazi Khan and Sahiwal or shifting Sahiwal Division with Lahore bench of the high court, a senior group of lawyers who were in negotiations through video link from Multan said.

The Multan bench of LHC saw a violent reaction from lawyers of the Multan High Court Bar after the judges did not attend work. However, it was decided that the judiciary will hear urgent cases.

But judges followed the orders of the chief justice of the LHC and remained absent from the offices which created violent reactions from the Multan High Court Bar.

Lawyers have announced that they will observe a complete strike except for urgent cases after the decision of the chief justice.

LHC chief justice has already constituted separate single benches in Multan bench of the LHC for the cases of Dera Ghazi Khan and Sahiwal divisions.

Meanwhile, a joint session of a general body of lawyers of Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan and Sahiwal was also held at High Court Bar Hall in Multan. All members who participated in the session unanimously passed a series of resolutions. As per the first resolution, Sahiwal District Court should not be separated from Multan bench and must not align with the principal seat.

The resolution stated that it would sideline lawyers of South Punjab

Another resolution stated that LHC’s Multan bench was legally founded 36 years ago so that it should not be abolished or changed. In fact, Pakpattan, which was earlier a part of Multan bench, should once again be associated with Multan Bench.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 21^st, 2016.