Opening ceremony: Let the celebrations begin!

Month-long festivities of 150th anniversary kick off today at LHC

LAHORE: With the national flag hoisted high, the Lahore High Court will begin its sesquicentennial celebrations today at all three allied benches including Rawalpindi, Multan and Bahawalpur.

Ceremonies at all four venues are expected to begin simultaneously as the clock strikes 3pm today (Tuesday). The celebrations will begin with the hoisting of the national flag with doves along with balloons released into the air to mark the 150th year of the LHC.

Top judges of the court and its allied benches will participate in the opening ceremony which will take place in the front garden of the historic LHC structure.

The opening ceremony will not hinder any court work as the work day ends at three in the afternoon. The 150th celebrations are expected to last until December 10 with all festivities scheduled to take place on Saturdays and Sundays.

After the inauguration, the second event will take place on November 5 with a symposium at Bahawalpur and a conference at districts courts of Attock, Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Jhelum, Bhakkar, Mianwali, Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah and Rajanpur.

On November 6, a cricket match is planned between two teams of LHC judges at the Gymkhana cricket ground. Cricket matches among judges of the district judiciary in Attock, Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Jhelum, Bhakkar, Mianwali, Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah, and Rajanpur will also take place.

November 7 will see children of different schools visiting district courts in Attock, Rawalpindi, Chakwal, Jhelum, Bhakkar, Mianwali, Dera Ghazi Khan, Layyah and Rajanpur. A few days later, on November 12, conferences are scheduled to be held in Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Rahim yar Khan, Muzaffargarh, Multan, Sahiwal, Vehari, Lodhran and Khanewal.

More cricket matches will follow on November 13 until 21 among teams of several district judiciaries. On the same day, a symposium will be held at the Rawalpindi bench of the LHC, while a seminar is scheduled on November 19 at the Multan bench of the LHC. Conferences will be held at districts courts of Faisalabad, Sargodha, Mandi Bahauddin, Gujrat, Toba Tek Singh, Chiniot, Jhang, Khushab and Sialkot.

Children of different schools will visit district courts of Faisalabad, Pakpattan, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Okara, Kasur and Lahore on November 21.

A museum will be inaugurated on November 26 where antiques of the provincial judiciary and old cases will be showcased. On the same day, a talk show will take place at the Lahore University of Management Sciences and conferences at district courts of Narowal, Pakpattan, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Okara, Kasur and Lahore.

On November 27, a golf match between judges of the LHC would take place at the Royal Palm Club, Lahore. On the same day, cricket matches will take place among judges of the district judiciary of Narowal, Pakpattan, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Okara, Kasur, and Lahore. On November 28, children of different schools would visit district courts of Narowal, Pakpattan, Gujranwala, Hafizabad, Sheikhupura, Nankana Sahib, Okara, Kasur and Lahore.

On December 3, there will be launch of a coffee table book on the history of the LHC in Lahore. The concluding ceremony would take place on December 10.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 1^st , 2016.