No place to call its own for IHC

Debate over shifting the courts to NIRC building continues.

ISLAMABAD:

The National Industrial Relation Commission Islamabad (NIRC) has expressed serious reservations over the proposed shifting of Islamabad High Court (IHC) to its premises in sector G-5, it was learnt.

The IHC, since its reestablishment in January this year, has been working in the district courts’ building in Sector G-10/3, established back in 2007.

However, to ease the burden of litigants and to reduce the rush at the new district court premises, the government planned to shift IHC to NIRC building.

In order to resolve the issue, a meeting was held here on Wednesday.

NIRC Registrar Khalil said that after a long struggle NIRC got this building which is spread over four kanals of land. He added that a number of files and records of the cases had been kept in the building, which would be affected if the suggested move took place.

He suggested establishing a new IHC building in open space between Prime Minister Colony and Bari Imam.

However, to this CDA Chairperson Imtiaz Inayat Elahi said that this is green area where no construction can be done. Khalil responded by saying that there was a space of 32 kanals besides the Radio Pakistan building.

IHC Chief Justice Iqbal Hameedur Rehman said the alternative proposed by the NIRC official will be seriously considered and constituted a six-member committee to look into the matter of shifting IHC to G-5. The committee will work under the supervision of Masood Chisti and will submit its report in the next meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 2^nd, 2011.