Subordinate courts come to a halt

Work continues at high court as CJ turns down request for suspension of judicial work

KARACHI: Litigants were inconvenienced on Friday as lawyers did not turn up at subordinate courts in the city. The lawyers were protesting the registration of cases under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) against their colleagues in Multan.

However, judicial work at the Sindh High Court (SHC) did not come to a halt as SHC Chief Justice (CJ) Ahmed Ali M Sheikh turned down bar associations' request for the suspension of judicial work.

Angry lawyers in Multan had reportedly vandalised the building of the new judicial complex, smashing its windows and doors on December 13 when they were told to shift from the old judicial complex. As a result, the police had booked many of them under the ATA.



To express solidarity with their colleagues, members of the Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA), Karachi Bar Association (KBA) and Malir District Bar Association (DBA) had announced to observe a strike against the registration of cases under the ATA against the lawyers of Multan.

On Friday morning, the SHCBA representatives requested the SHC CJ to suspend the judicial work across the province as a gesture of solidarity by the bench with the bar. However, Justice Sheikh turned down the request and asked the lawyers to appear before the courts in the larger public interest.

Therefore, the judicial work was carried out as usual at the SHC. However, the members of the KBA and Malir DBA did not turn up to plead their cases fixed on the day before dozens of courts in the city's five judicially administrative districts.



This resulted in misery for hundreds of litigants as well as under-trial prisoners. While the judges in subordinate courts remained in their chambers, cases had to be adjourned without hearing.