LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has been urged to withdraw transfer and posting orders of judicial officers of the district judiciary of Punjab due to the ongoing lockdown.

Munir Ahmad, a lawyer, submitted in a petition that the court registrar recently issued notifications about transfer/posting of district and sessions judges, additional district and sessions judges and civil judges in the province. He also questioned transfers of officers and staff working in the LHC establishment.

The petitioner pleaded that these transfers/postings were against the lockdown measures and meant to cause disturbance among the families due to the restrictions on movement. He asked the court to immediately withdraw the impugned notifications as well as all postings/transfers of the judicial officers and staff of the LHC establishment in light of a lockdown in the country due to Covid-19 outbreak.

He further asked the court to restrain the authority concerned from issuing anymore notifications about postings/transfers of any sort until the pandemic was over.

SANITARY WORKERS: Another petition was filed with the court for the provision of coronavirus safety kits to sanitary workers and medical facilities equal to other frontline officials fighting the pandemic.

Human Libration Commission of Pakistan Chairman Aslam Pervez Sahotra filed the petition, saying the sanitary workers were performing their duties in streets and on roads, so they were fully exposed to the risk of being infected with the deadly virus.

He maintained that the government was providing safety kits and other necessary equipment to all those who were performing duties in hospitals and the police personnel. However, the sanitary workers were helpless as the authorities were not taking serious steps for their safety, he lamented.

The petitioner argued that the non-provision of safety kits to the sanitary workers was discriminatory and against their fundamental rights. He asked the court to order the provincial government to ensure provision of safety kits against coronavirus to the sanitary workers and treat them on a par with doctors, paramedical and other officials performing duties on the front line.

Published in Dawn, April 4th, 2020