City Court in dire need of uplift

Faulty lifts, absence of security, emergency exits, wheelchair access among many issues

KARACHI:

The Constitutional Bench of the Sindh High Court (SHC) has directed the convening of a high-level meeting on May 6 to address the issues of inadequate facilities and security concerns in the courts, particularly in the City Court, across the metropolitan city.

The bench issued the directives while hearing petitions filed by senior lawyers Akhtar Hussain, Advocate Zia Awan, and others, concerning the "deteriorating conditions" in the judicial infrastructure, particularly at the City Court.

The provincial chief secretary, the IGP, and the city mayor were among the officials who had appointed focal persons for the matter. However, the Karachi Bar Association and the Sindh High Court Bar Association have yet to nominate their representatives. Advocate Akhtar Hussain assured the court that these nominations would be made within the week.

Justice Agha Faisal remarked that the May 6 meeting agenda would be to identify feasible improvements and the facilities that could be provided during the current financial year. "The judiciary is facing serious challenges. Without the cooperation of the legal fraternity, meaningful reforms are not possible," Justice Faisal further remarked.

A government representative suggested that newly built court facilities in Korangi could be utilised immediately. However, this proposal met resistance from the petitioners, who warned against any division of the legal community. Advocate Zia Awan stated that similar attempts to decentralise judicial functions at the tehsil level in Lahore had proven unsuccessful.

Instead, the petitioners argued for the establishment of a centralised judicial complex within Karachi. Justice Faisal acknowledged the limitations of the City Court premises, which spans only 12 acres, making further development on the site impractical. He recommended that stakeholders propose alternative locations for a modern judicial complex.

The bench stressed the need for immediate administrative action to address basic deficiencies, such as traffic management, sanitation, health, and security - improvements that do not require extensive financial resources.