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| September 08, 2006 | Friday | Sha'aban 14, 1427 |
Judicial officers to work in courtrooms only
LAHORE, Sept 7: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Iftikhar Husain Chaudhry has directed judicial officers across the province to hear cases in the courtrooms and not in their chambers.
A circular, issued on the chief justice’s behalf by the LHC inspection team member, directed the district and sessions judge to ensure that additional sessions judges, civil judges, judicial magistrates and other judicial officers themselves pass interlocutory and interim orders and transact all other judicial work.
The judicial officers, according to the circular released to the press on Thursday, should also themselves write judgments and pass other orders while presiding over the court and not in the chambers. They should also give dictation to all orders to the stenographer and not allow the ministerial staff to perform any kind of judicial work.
The circular letter was issued because the litigants and lawyers have been complaining that almost all judicial work was being performed by the reader and other clerical staff and judicial officers mostly confined themselves to their chambers, seldom hearing petitions even in criminal cases.
LIQUOR SALE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday sought explanation from the Punjab excise and taxation secretary on a writ petition that the department’s officials were involved in the sale of liquor in black market.
The court also called for para-wise comments within four weeks on the writ petition of Rashid Patras, secretary of the Minorities Islahi (reform) Association, who stated that the excise department had issued about 15,000 permits for the sale of liquor from authorised hotels and other outlets throughout the province. But the amount of the hard drink being sold was equal to about 70,000 permits which showed that huge quantities were being sold illegally through unauthorised outlets, bootleggers and excise department officers and the subordinate staff.
The petitioner stated that some 55,000 permits were illegal which the department issued mostly to Muslims. A majority of such permits was not accompanied by coupons which were to be deposited at the outlets while purchasing liquor.
He submitted that the department issued a permit for Rs620 annual fee. The government was generating far less revenue than the actual sale of the drink. The actual transaction showed that a big amount was being misappropriated and legitimate source of revenue was being thwarted which amounted to tax evasion. All the money was being pocketed by the excise department employees.
The petitioner stated that it was ironic that Muslims were allowed to work in liquor outlets in hotels and this was prohibited (haram) in Islam. He also produced a religious decree (fatwa) from a religious leader (mufti) to substantiate his argument.
As for remedial measures, the petitioner submitted that the sale of liquor should not exceed to the quota issued on the basis of permits. He stated that a record of coupons should be maintained while delivering the quotas to accredited outlets. This measure would also ensure that the fee of each of the permits was deposited in the public treasury.
The petitioner requested the court to issue a writ against the department that liquor should be delivered only to accredited hotels and other outlets and all loopholes in its pilferage be effectively plugged.
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