Inadequate security in courts premises;Govt report

Lahore : Prosecutor General shall present the progress report today in Lahore High Court regarding 118 cases in which challans have been filed in offences committed in Court premises. A special division bench consisting of Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Sh. Najamul Hassan will take up at 9.30am the petition filled by a lawyer, Kashif Pasha about inadequate security arrangements in the court premises.

According to details 159 cases pertaining to incidents of violence have been registered since January, 2010. The prosecutor General shall also report the degree of cooperation existing between police investigation teams and the prosecution department during investigation. The provincial government has been directed to take steps to comply with article 118 of the police order, 2002 wherein investigation branch has been made autonomous.Police authorities have been also tasked to propose fresh security plans for each judicial complex in the province addressing specific security threat parameters.

These plans may include steps requiring enforcement through Court Administration and Bar Associations of the different district and tehsil judicial complexes and recommendation for provision of essential infrastructural changes at any judicial complex may also be made. The judges of district judiciary shall share their proposals of security plans and measures with members of district justice coordination committee to collectively suggest measures that meet specific security threats.

Petitioner had submitted that though law and order situation was not up – to –the – mark all over the country and increasing events in court premises regarding security have made the situation worse and created a sense of terror. He submitted that all the more insecurity among the public also affect the community attached with sacred duty of dispensation of justice and shakes the image and dignity of courts.

He submitted that in such situation some practical actions need be takento avoid untoward incidents in future. He submitted that during the last few years killing of opponents in judicial custody and in premises of courts has become a common practice.