This is with reference to lawyer’s demands for creation of a high court bench at Faisalabad. Due to shortage of judges in higher judiciary a large number of cases are reported to have piled up and public suffers a great hardship on account of delay in seeking and obtaining justice. The SC in one of its meetings asked the government to fill vacant posts of judges, but both the federal and provincial governments have not yet complied with the demand as they seem busy with more “important” issues such as creation of new provinces and protecting the breach of their privileges by the Election Commission when it asked for verification of their degrees. Especially, in the wake of upcoming elections the leaders of two major parties have waged a war of words. The Pakistan Peoples Party proposed new province “Bahawalpur-South Punjab” while Muslim League-Nawaz insists on restoration of Bahawalpur province, which never existed.
As for lawyers’ demand, prior to 1970, only the principal seat of the Lahore High Court was functional for entire province. The lawyers of Rawalpindi raised demand for a high court bench in the city on grounds that districts like Rawalpindi, Attock, and Jehlum were located at a long distance from the LHC and hence litigant public had to bear extra expenses in terms of money and time, on top of regular court fees. The govt obliged the request and established a bench of High Court in Rawalpindi. Later, two more benches – Multan and Bahawalpur – were established in order to facilitate litigating public. The increase in benches resulted in a need of more lawyers.
Now the lawyers of Faisalabad are struggling for a high court bench at Faisalabad. Though their demands lack reason because Faisalabad is only a couple of hours distance from Lahore, they have gained strength in their unruly behaviour and violently quarrelling with the district judiciary, staging protests and holding sit-ins at the cost of damaging the image of their nobel profession. This also goes against their ethical responsibilities to work for their client in all sincerity. On the contrary, they seem to be doing protests and sit-ins at the cost of their clients and the tax payers. They should instead work with the judiciary for quick and early disposal of cases to lighten the burden and facilitate delivery of justice to public. They should at least wait until the issue of new provinces is settled as in such an event new high courts are bound to be created changing the entire scene. Politicians, on the other hand, should for once keep public interest in mind and get over the issue of new provinces one way or the other.
RAJA SHAFAATULLAH
Islamabad
