Without addressing the issue of space for the lower judiciary, Islamabad administration has divided Islamabad into two “sessions divisions”.
This step along with the talks of dividing Islamabad into districts comes at a time when the city administration is yet to shift the lower judiciary to the new complex for lawyers in G-10. Currently the Islamabad High Court (IHC) is housed there.
To make matters worse, two sessions divisions will require more space for the additional staff.
Chief Justice High Court Iqbal Hamidur Rehman, Interior Secretary Qamar Zaman Chaudhry and Chief Commissioner Islamabad Tariq Mahmood Pirzada attended a high-level meeting on Thursday to finalise the plan of moving the IHC to an empty building of National Industrial Relations Commission (NIRC) in G-5.
While the status of NIRC is still disputed, Pirzada said that the move could still take place if the IHC issues orders for it. An official told The Express Tribune that IHC chief justice had asked Islamabad administration to make arrangements for the shifting of the IHC, while the CDA was asked to prepare a PC-1 for the residences of the IHC officials.
CDA Chairperson Imtiaz Inayat Elahi said at the meeting that he will present his report after examining the matter. A press statement issued after the meeting said a four-member committee will be formed to examine the matter.
Senior Joint Secretary of Ministry of Housing MB Awan told the officials that there was not ample space to house the residential needs of the IHC officials.
Prior to two sessions divisions, the administration of the capital city consisted of only a single sessions division with district and session judge, additional district and session judge and some civil judges working in that division.
An official of the ICT said that besides the issue of the division of two sessions, shifting of offices from F-8 was necessary because the current location of Islamabad District and Sessions Courts and the lawyers’ chambers make them vulnerable to security threats. Thousands of litigants visit the district and sessions court every day.
A judge of the lower court deals with around 200 cases every day. There are presently four sessions’ judges, eight civil judges and 2,600 registered lawyers practicing in the district courts of Islamabad.
The issue of bifurcation arose after the establishment of IHC, under the IHC Act 2010. Pirzada had said that the decision regarding two sessions’ divisions was a constitutional requirement.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 28th, 2011.
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