ISLAMABAD: Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah on Saturday ordered the district administration and police to constitute a joint investigation team (JIT) to probe the Feb 8 attack on the Chief Justice Block of the IHC.

He made these remarks while hearing a petition filed by advocate Nazir Jawad against alleged harassment by police during the ongoing raids to arrest lawyers nominated in the First Information Report (FIR) in connection with the IHC rampage.

The court was also informed that a district courts complex had been approved in the federal capital and the government had also hired a consultant to execute the project. Justice Minallah directed that the JIT would perform its function in consultation with the lawyers’ bodies and advised the police to arrest only those nominated in the FIRs, warning them against harassing lawyers who were not involved in the attack.

Consultant hired to construct district courts complex, court told

He said a fair trial of those involved in the attack on the Chief Justice Block would be conducted.

In response to a query, the court was informed that office-bearers of the bar association could not attend the hearing because they intended to lead a rally of lawyers to D-Chowk.

The lawyers were protesting against delay in the establishment of a judicial complex for the district courts.

The chief justice remarked that since he took oath of the office, he had been struggling to establish a district courts complex in the capital since the existing courts were working under makeshift arrangements.

Justice Minallah appreciated the progress made on construction of the courts complex and remarked that all this had happened in the last two years.

“The initiative started by this court to make the district courts the top priority would not have materialised without the cooperation of the present federal government. The credit definitely goes to the worthy prime minister who has given directions that there must be no delay in reforming the district judiciary by shifting the courts to a state of the art judicial complex. For the 70 years, the district judiciary was not a priority,” the court noted.

The court was told that progress made in the past two years had been due to the commitment of this court and the prime minister and his government to give the district judiciary top priority.

Though the office-bearers of the bar have remained involved in the process it appears that more information ought to be provided to its members.

“The chief commissioner is, therefore, directed to inform the office-bearers of both the bars regarding the progress made so far relating to the respective five acre plots for construction of the judicial complex and use of the bars.”

Further hearing in the matter has been adjourned till Feb 15.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ ) condemned ransacking of the IHC building, particularly the attack on the office of Chief Justice Athar Minallah by a group of lawyers.

In a statement issued on Saturday, PFUJ President Shahzada Zulfiqar and Secretary General Nasir Zaidi said the lawyers’ action was unbecoming of their profession.

They said instead of cooperating with the authorities for demolishing their illegally-constructed offices, the group of lawyers started vandalism and attacked the chief justice’s office and misbehaved with him.

The PFUJ demanded stern action against those involved in the attack.

Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2021