Start Judicial Complex work in a month: IHC

Law secretary tells court PC-1 will be approved today

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday directed the federal government to start construction of the Judicial Complex within a month.

It also instructed the government to brief the court on the progress made in the construction of the lawyers' complex during the span.

The Law and Interior ministry secretaries and the Islamabad commissioner appeared before the court of IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah.

The law secretary informed the court that Project Concept (PC) 1 of the Judicial Complex would be approved on Friday (today). He maintained that in 60 years, no one has tried to solve the problem of administrative control of the employees of special courts.

The court was apprised by the interior secretary that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) had started development work, incurring a cost of Rs1.5 billion, on the Judicial Complex. It directed the formation of a committee comprising secretaries of the ministries of Interior, Law, and Planning to inform the federal government about the construction of the Judicial Complex.

The chief justice remarked that he does not want to interfere in the work of the executive but stated that he would not allow infringement of fundamental rights. He stated that the construction of the judicial complex must be started within a month and the government should avoid any red tape. Justice Minallah noted that the incumbent government has shown interest in resolving the issues of litigants but the required progress has not been made.

Meanwhile, the IHC once again issued notices to 19 lawyers to submit a response pertaining to the misconduct of lawyers involved in IHC vandalism.

A larger bench of the IHC, comprising Justice Minallah, Justice Mian Gul Hassan Aurangzeb, and Justice Lubna Saleem Pervez heard the petition filed by the IHC Registrar against 21 lawyers over misconduct.

The court was informed that two lawyers, Khalid Mahmood Khan and his wife Advocate Shaista Tabassum, have submitted written replies. At this, the chief justice said that they would give another chance to the remaining lawyers to submit their responses.

The court then re-issued notices to 19 lawyers to file a reply and adjourned the hearing until March 2.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 26^th, 2021.