CDA to build lawyers' complex, IHC told

Law secy says new judicial complex will be constructed separately

ISLAMABAD:

In a report submitted to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday, the law ministry told the court that the lawyers’ complex will be constructed separately from the new judicial complex.

The law secretary informed the high court that the Capital Development Authority (CDA) will build the lawyers' complex on five acres of land owned by the law ministry.

The court was told that a parking plaza will also be built on one acre of land.

In a case related to the bar, chambers and court issues heard by the IHC, Law Secretary Raja Naeem Akbar submitted a report in the IHC which stated that the new judicial complex will be constructed in G-11/4, while the lawyers’ complex will be constructed in G-10/1.

According to the report, the courts in both East and West of Islamabad will be shifted to the new Judicial Complex while the new accountability courts will be set up in the existing judicial complex. The tribunals set up in the existing judicial complex will be moved to an alternative location.

The law secretary told the court that funds will be provided for the repair of the existing judicial complex along with the deployment of new staff.

The report said that the procedure to transfer the administrative control of the building to the IHC is also under way.

Two days ago, the IHC had directed the federal government to start construction of the Judicial Complex within a month. It had 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 had appeared in the court of IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah. The law secretary had informed the court that Project Concept (PC) 1 of the Judicial Complex would be approved on Friday. He had maintained that in 60 years, no one has tried to solve the problem of administrative control of the employees of special courts.

The court had been apprised by the interior secretary that the CDA had started development work, incurring a cost of Rs1.5 billion, on the Judicial Complex.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 28^th, 2021.