Relocation of city courts: CADD reluctant to welcome black coats

Committee formed by the IHC has proposed to shift the courts to CADD’s curriculum building.

ISLAMABAD:

The Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) seems reluctant to vacate one of its buildings for temporary accommodation of city district courts, fearing the black coats will occupy it permanently.

After the recent terrorist attack on the Islamabad city district courts in F-8 markaz, a committee constituted by the Islamabad High Court had proposed to shift the courts to the CADD’s curriculum wing building in Sector H-9.

An official in the CADD said that apart from the fear of permanent occupation by the lawyers, the administration has other concerns as well to vacate the building.

He said that it would be very difficult to shift the CADD’s 50 years record related to curriculum to any other place.

Similarly, the official said, there was less space in the building to accommodate the courts. He said that although after the 18th Amendment, the curriculum wing has been devolved to provinces, some of the CADD staff were working in the building related to capital’s schools.

According to the source, the committee has asked the CADD secretary to vacate the building so that the courts could be shifted there. The CADD, however, has so far not given any positive response to the demand.

Another source in the CADD said that the administration was considering to refer the matter to the prime minister for final decision.

“The prime minister is the competent authority as it (CADD) falls under the cabinet division,” said an official who was privy to the development. He said that it depended on the prime minister whether he gave permission or not.

On March 3, two suicide bombers stormed the city courts building and killed 12 people including a judge and a woman lawyer before blowing themselves up when cornered by personnel of the law enforcement agencies.

Since then, the lawyers have been demanding to shift them to their original building which is currently under the use of the IHC.

The lawyers have already rejected the proposal to shift the courts to the CADD building and instead have demanded to shift them to the IHC building.

Last year, the Capital Development Authority allotted 3.3 acres for construction of a new building for the IHC on the Constitution Avenue, but since then no construction (on the new building) could be started yet.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 29^th, 2014.