CJ’s instructions: Courts fail to enforce power-saving plan

Air conditioners being used at Sessions Court while judges are away.

LAHORE:

The Lahore High Court chief justice’s orders to subordinate courts for saving electricity are being flouted, as air conditioners are still being used in courtrooms when the judge is not present, The Express Tribune has observed.

Last week, Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry sent out instructions to all subordinate courts to minimise electricity use.

He said in his circular that it was the responsibility of the court staff concerned to switch off all lights, fans and air conditioners in the room once the judge leaves.

But at the Sessions Court last Friday, this correspondent witnessed tube lights, fans and air conditioners switched on in several additional district and sessions judges’ (ASDJs) courtrooms absent the judges.

Air conditioners, fans and tube lights were in use by staffers in the courtrooms of ADSJs Rao Abdul Jabbar, Muhammad Shiraz Kiani, Sana Khan Attique, Chaudhry Nazeer Ahmed, Muhammad Tahir Khan Niazi, Chaudhry Ameer Muhammad Khan, Mahrukh Aziz Tarar, Haji Ahmed, Sardar Tahir Sabir, Muhammad Tahir Khan Niazi, Arif Hameed Shaikh, Attiqur Rehman Bhindar, Muhammad Saeedullah Mughal. These judges were either on leave, had left for the day or were in their retiring rooms.

Meanwhile, there were nine fans, at least 16 tube lights and two of five air conditioners running in the district and sessions judge’s courtroom, even though he was in the retiring room after proceedings.

Sessions Court superintendent Chaudhry Muhammad Arif said that he was “astonished” that court staffers were not obeying a notification issued by Sessions Judge Mujahid Mustaqim Ahmed based on the chief justice’s circular. When his attention was drawn to the sessions judge’s courtroom, he said that the judge would be informed of the violation and action would be taken against the officials responsible.

On the other hand, court staffers said it was unfair that judges were allowed to sit in air-conditioned rooms while they were not. “Are we not human beings who feel hot?” said an official.



Published in The Express Tribune, June 7^th, 2011.