Lower judiciary gets Rs 212m budget

The Finance Ministry approved a budget of Rs 212 million for two session divisions of the lower judiciary of the federal capital for the fiscal year of 2012-13 against the demand made by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) administration amounting to Rs 468 million, APP has learnt reliably.
A source in the IHC told this agency that the court, however, has forwarded a summary of an additional grant Rs 160 million for improving infrastructure of the lower judiciary, citing the reasons that the allocated amount was not enough to meet expenses.
According to him, the administration of the court had sent a demand of Rs 226 million to meet the salaries and other expenditures for the district court east and its civil courts for the year 2012-13.
Out of the Rs 226 million, the source added, Rs 112 million had been demanded for the district court east while Rs 114 million were sought for its civil courts, he added.
Moreover, Rs 242 million were demanded for district courts west and its lower courts. Out of the total amount, Rs 154 million were demanded for the district court west while Rs 88 million were sought for its lower courts, the source maintained.
However, the finance ministry granted only 48 percent of the demanded amount.
In the next fiscal year, the IHC administration will induct more judges for the sessions divisions east and west and for the proposed 11 special courts—labour, banking, special judge central, special judge customs, accountability courts, environment protection tribunals, anti-terrorism, control of narcotics substance, consumer and drug courts, he added.
The IHC administration, through a notification on May 13, 2011, had increased the strength of the judges of its subordinate judiciary, but could not appoint the judges because the Finance Ministry did not release the additional budget.
Land acquired for model prison in capital: Some 720 kanals of land have been acquired in Sector H-16 for construction of a model prison in the federal capital.
This was disclosed at a meeting chaired by Islamabad Chief Commissioner Tariq Mahmood Pirzada. The meeting reviewed and discussed the project of construction of a model prison in the city.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner Amer Ali Ahmed, ICT Development and Finance Director Rana Akbar Hayat, ADC (G) Farasat Ali Khan, the executive engineer, civil project, Pak-PWP, and other senior officials of the ICT administration.
The civil project executive engineer gave a presentation regarding a design of the prison. The chief commissioner, while addressing the meeting, said the concept of the project should be comprehensive in all respects containing all security features and requirements of a model prison along with requisite facilities for prisoners.
He directed the Pak-PWD civil project executive engineer to visit Adiala Jail and examine the design of building and other details to conceive the project.
The participants were informed that the next meeting would be held after one week to share the details and concept of the project after examining the designs of modern prisons and a visit to Adiala Jail by the officials concerned of Pak-PWD.