Daredevil litigants: Where fast cars come in the way of justice
Despite approval, construction work on pedestrian underpass yet to begin.
In October last year, the provincial government had allocated Rs50 million for the building of a pedestrian underpass but six months on, there are still no signs of progress. PHOTO: EXPRESS/ FILE
RAWALPINDI:
Six months after approving a pedestrian underpass near the new judicial complex, the Punjab government’s tenure expired. The project, however, was left alone. With the caretaker set up now in place, further delay is inevitable.
The lack of a connecting bridge between the old courts and new complex is not only a nuisance for litigants but also the lawyers who have to cross in front of speeding vehicles to make it to their workplace.
In October last year, the provincial government had allocated Rs50 million for the building of a pedestrian underpass but six months on, there are still no signs of progress.
On February 18, a lawyer was beaten by a military officer after he refused a warning not to cross the road while the Chief of Army Staff’s VIP motorcade was passing by.
“I am surprised as to why the Punjab government did not complete this project despite having approved it,” Rawalpindi District Bar Association General Secretary Malik Zahir Arshad said.
He claimed that several meetings had taken place between lawyers’ representatives and the Rawalpindi administration over the issue, but it seems that a sense of urgency is still lacking. “I don’t understand the reasons behind the delay; construction work on other projects in the city was started and even completed, but the pedestrian underpass seems to have been neglected which is unfair,” Advocate Wasif Abbasi said.
Muhammad Irfan, a court employee working in the judicial complex, complained that the lack of a pedestrian corridor is causing many minor accidents. “It’s difficult to cross the road especially during office hours when the risk of an accident is high,” he said.
When contacted, District Coordinator Officer Saqib Zafar said that the administration had completed PC-I of the project and obtained the necessary approval from army officials.
He said the PC- I had been forwarded to the finance wing who will be releasing funds soon, paving the way for construction work to begin. Zafar said the National Logistics Cell would be in charge of project execution. But by the looks of it, the litigants and lawyers might have to wait a little more.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 3rd, 2013.
Six months after approving a pedestrian underpass near the new judicial complex, the Punjab government’s tenure expired. The project, however, was left alone. With the caretaker set up now in place, further delay is inevitable.
The lack of a connecting bridge between the old courts and new complex is not only a nuisance for litigants but also the lawyers who have to cross in front of speeding vehicles to make it to their workplace.
In October last year, the provincial government had allocated Rs50 million for the building of a pedestrian underpass but six months on, there are still no signs of progress.
On February 18, a lawyer was beaten by a military officer after he refused a warning not to cross the road while the Chief of Army Staff’s VIP motorcade was passing by.
“I am surprised as to why the Punjab government did not complete this project despite having approved it,” Rawalpindi District Bar Association General Secretary Malik Zahir Arshad said.
He claimed that several meetings had taken place between lawyers’ representatives and the Rawalpindi administration over the issue, but it seems that a sense of urgency is still lacking. “I don’t understand the reasons behind the delay; construction work on other projects in the city was started and even completed, but the pedestrian underpass seems to have been neglected which is unfair,” Advocate Wasif Abbasi said.
Muhammad Irfan, a court employee working in the judicial complex, complained that the lack of a pedestrian corridor is causing many minor accidents. “It’s difficult to cross the road especially during office hours when the risk of an accident is high,” he said.
When contacted, District Coordinator Officer Saqib Zafar said that the administration had completed PC-I of the project and obtained the necessary approval from army officials.
He said the PC- I had been forwarded to the finance wing who will be releasing funds soon, paving the way for construction work to begin. Zafar said the National Logistics Cell would be in charge of project execution. But by the looks of it, the litigants and lawyers might have to wait a little more.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 3rd, 2013.