Lacklustre participation shuts open courts

Failure attributed to non-implementation of orders

RAWALPINDI:

The weekly open courts, established on the directives of the Military Lands and Cantonments (MLC) Director General to address public concerns in Cantonment Boards across the country have effectively been halted in Rawalpindi due to a notable lack of citizen participation.

While initially, the open court witnessed the presence of 100 to 150 citizens airing their grievances, only four citizens attended the session on Tuesday.

The MLC DG had mandated these open courts to be held every Tuesday four months ago, initially taking place on the lawns of the cantonment boards. Over time, the motivation to participate waned, prompting a shift from the Cantonment Lawn to the Board Hall. However, the move did not reverse the diminishing interest, leading to a continuous decline in attendance.

The citizens had voiced dissatisfaction with the effectiveness of the courts stating that orders issued during the sessions usually remained unimplemented.

Read Police stop open courts to dismay of populace

Concerns ranging from drinking water and sewage systems to illegal constructions, encroachments, and approval of building plans were raised in the open court. Yet, the citizens perceived minimal progress in addressing these issues, resulting in a practical ineffectiveness of the open court. This decline persisted to the extent that the open court series in the Board Room of the Cantonment Board was eventually abandoned after three consecutive weeks of disappointing attendance.

Notably, the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board recently saw the appointment of Syed Irfan Rizvi as the new executive officer, taking charge three weeks ago. When approached for comment, cantonment board Spokesperson and assistant secretary Muhammad Rashta acknowledged the decrease in attendance, suggesting that a decline in problem resolution could be a contributing factor.

However, he clarified that Saturday open courts had not been entirely abolished.

Elected members of the cantonment board, who had initially attended open courts alongside citizens, have now turned silent in the wake of dwindling attendance.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 15^th, 2023.