For the better: ‘Subordinate courts lack proper security’

LBA representatives had submitted a proposal to AD&SJ two months ago.

LAHORE: No concrete measures have been taken to ensure security at the City’s subordinate courts despite several meetings between the Lahore Bar Association and the police, The Express Tribune has learnt.

The LBA representatives had submitted a proposal to the Additional District and Sessions Judge Chaudhry Tariq Javed two months ago after he was tasked to monitor the security arrangements by District and Session Judge Nazir Ahmad Gajana.

Javed was informed that the walk-through gates at the district and session courts, Aiwan-i-Adl and civil courts were not working properly.

The bar representatives also proposed the AD&SJ that a boundary wall be built around the Model Town courts.

Advocate Irfan Basra, the LBA Model Town vice president, said they had informed the police and the AD&SJ about the need for walk-through gates at the courts.



LBA Vice President Chaudhry Touqeer Sadiq said that they had also met with the Punjab Police Inspector General two months ago.

He said the police had made ‘hollow promises’ and did not appear sincere. Sadiq said the LBA had demanded metal detectors, walk-through gates and an increased number of guards at subordinate courts “but no sincere steps were taken by the police.”

LBA President Nauman Quraishi said that there was clear danger to the lawyers, judges, and litigants at subordinate courts. He said proper measures had not been taken to avoid any untoward incident. He said thousands of lawyers and litigants visited the courts everyday and it was not right that there were no metal detectors and functional walk-through gates.

Javed said LBA representatives had complained about the walk-through gates which were not working properly. He said the gates had recently been repaired on emergency basis. Regarding a boundary wall for Model Town courts, he said they were working on it.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10^th, 2013.