Joint fight needed to win war: LHC

Says residents of quarters to get substitute residences

LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah on Monday has said ‘we are in a war-like situation and we have to fight the war jointly to win it.’

He said he was planning to restrict unnecessary entry to the LHC premises and it was decided to make arrangements for applying and collecting copies of the LHC record from outside the premises by making a window at the boundary wall. 

Talking to the media, he said employees living on the LHC premises would be given honorarium in addition to requisition to the Punjab government for residential quarters for them in return of demolition of their quarters.

Talking about news items published in few newspapers regarding demolition of servant quarters on the LHC premises to construct a multi-story building, the CJ said the building had nothing to do with the quarters. He said the LHC was not a residential area and in the current wave of terrorism, it was not easy to protect families of the employees particularly during night.

Punjab Inspector General Police Mushtaq Sukhera, LHC Registrar, Home Secretary Punjab, Additional Inspector General (special branch), Member Inspection Team, CCPO Lahore, DIG Operations (Lahore), Rangers Lt-Col Naeem Iqbal and others were also present.

The CJ said representatives of security institutions were present here who had informed them about threats to the judiciary and the bar; therefore, these quarters were being demolished. He said he had issued directions for writing a letter for quarters for these employees on priority basis. He said he had taken this decision in the best interest of his subordinates. 

He said only two private persons could enter the LHC in one case after telling information about their case. The CJ appealed to the LHC staff, advocates and litigants to cooperate in ensuring foolproof security at the LHC. He thanked the security personnel for providing foolproof security for the elections of the Lahore High Court Bar Association on Saturday last. He said the whole nation was standing behind the security forces in war against terror. It is pertinent to mention here that 36 residential quarters on the premises of the LHC were got vacated to demolish. These quarters were constructed in 1970s and helping staff was residing there.