Across the province: Sitting judges to be appointed as ATC heads

Majority of ATC judges at the moment are retired ones on extensions

KARACHI: Sitting district and sessions' judges will be appointed as heads of the anti-terrorism courts (ATCs) in the province, it emerged on Saturday.

The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by the Supreme Court's (SC) administrative judge for the ATCs, Justice Amir Hani Muslim, at the SC's Karachi Registry to review the performance of the ATCs in the province. The meeting was attended by the Sindh High Court's monitoring judges for the ATCs operating in Karachi and the rest of the province, the provincial chief secretary, home secretary, senior officers from the prison, police and prosecution departments.

A majority of the judges serving as ATC heads are retired judges at the moment, all of whom have been granted extension in their terms.

According to sources, it was decided at the meeting that sitting district and sessions judges will be appointed as presiding officers of the ATCs. Further, the district and sessions judge in each district of Karachi will nominate two additional district and sessions judges to hear the cases registered under the Anti-Terrorism Act regarding petty issues in order to reduce burden on the ATCs.

Shifting ATCs

Judicial sources told The Express Tribune that the administrative judge expressed dissatisfaction over the pace of work on the construction of new accommodation for the ATCs inside Karachi Central Prison to shift the city's 10 ATCs from their current location in Clifton neighbourhood.

The monitoring judge had long been directing the provincial authorities concerned to relocate the ATCs to the heavily-guarded prison in the wake of looming threats to the judges, lawyers and prosecutors as well as the complainants and witnesses.

Sources said Justice Hani directed the officers of the relevant departments to ensure that the new accommodation inside the prison is made ready by October 25 this year. He ordered that all types of ongoing works should be finished within one month so that all the ATCs can be shifted inside the prison and can start functioning by November this year.

For the purpose, the chief secretary and finance officers were directed to ensure a grant of Rs10 million was provided to the relevant authorities at the earliest.

Other issues

Justice Hani also directed the chief secretary to communicate it to the provincial government that the ban on fresh appointments should be lifted so that new appointments could be made in the prison department, which had been facing difficulties due to shortage of manpower.

The SC judge also directed the prosecutor-general, Shahadat Awan, to ensure that the fee for the special public prosecutor for the ATCs should be enhanced from Rs35,000 to Rs70,000. Awan was asked to ensure that a sum of Rs1 million is allocated for the purpose immediately.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 25^th, 2016.