IHC sets security guidelines for high-profile cases

Islamabad High Court (IHC) has taking notice of the security cordon on the visit of Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday that blocked litigants and lawyers from reaching the court directed issued guidelines to the Islamabad Capital Territory Administration (ICTA) on security arrangements for high profile cases.

In this regard IHC security deputy registrar issued a letter to the Islamabad commissioner, Inspector General of Police (IGP), and Islamabad Deputy Commissioner (DC) on Wednesday.

The letter stated that the security arrangements on Maryam Nawaz's appearance in the proceeding caused undue inconvenience to the litigants and lawyers who were to attend the hearings of their respective cases.

It said that before devising any security plan for high profile cases, the IHC chief justice, registrar, and Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) president should be consulted in advance. The security plan must be finalised after their approval, it added.

The letter stated that the security arrangements must be made such that they do not cause difficulties to the court staff, lawyers, and litigants.

Subsequently office of the district magistrate of the Islamabad Capital Territory issued SOPs to be observed by the police and magistrates during high profile court hearings in IHC.

According to the notification, the officers and officials of IHC shall be allowed entry on showing their official card and would park their vehicles at designated place as per routine.

The lawyers and clerks of lawyers shall be allowed entry from lawyers' entrance gate on displaying bar membership cards. The litigants having court cases mentioned in the cause list shall be facilitated and allowed entry inside court premises through general public entry gate.

However, irrelevant persons or the workers of any political party will not be allowed to enter inside the premises of the court.

IHC security

IGP Aamir Zulfiqar has said that elaborate security arrangements are in place for IHC and further improvement would be made as per satisfaction of judges as well as lawyers.

He stated this while speaking to the delegation of lawyers of IHC headed by President IHCBA Mehmood which visited the Central Police Office on Wednesday and discussed the overall security arrangements inside and outside premises of IHC.

IHCBA President Chaudhry Haseeb had chaired a meeting on Tuesday in which he warned of carrying out legal action against the Islamabad administration and the police if such thing happened in the future.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 3^rd, 2020.