Law and order: ‘Trained men deployed for courts’ security’

Frequency of killings in judicial custody and on court premises alarming

LAHORE: Additional Inspector General of Police (Investigation) Zulfiqar Hameed on Monday told a division bench of the Lahore High Court that trained security personnel had been deployed at premises of all subordinate courts in the province.

He told the bench that 11 policemen had been terminated and several policemen had been subjected to departmental action for negligence during law and order problems at various court premises in the past. He said challans of 118 cases had been submitted in relevant courts.

Operations DIG and the prosecutor general also appeared before the bench.

The bench, headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, adjourned the hearing of the petition till September 19 and directed the police officers to come up with more reports on security arrangements.

The bench also sought a report on the problems faced by the Police Department after separation of Operations and Investigation wings.

Advocate Kashif Pasha had filed the petition, demanding adequate security measures at court premises.

He had told the court that killings in judicial custody and on court premises had become common practice.