LHC asks govt to appoint judges in banking courts on vacant posts

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has asked the Federal Ministry of Law and Justice to appoint judges on vacant posts of different banking courts in Punjab.

According to sources, LHC registrar, on the directions of Justice Muhammad Farrukh Irfan Khan, administrative Judge of Banking Courts of Punjab, has written a letter to the Federal Secretary Law and Justice in this regard.

The registrar has nominated 10 district and sessions judges for all vacant banking courts. The nominations had been made for banking courts number 1,3,4,5,6 &7 of Lahore, Banking Courts 1 & 3 of Multan, Banking Court Sahiwal and Banking Court-1 of Faisalabad.

These nominations were sent to the ministry about eight months ago. In a recent meeting of Banking Courts Judges held under the Chair of Justice Khan, he expressed his deep concern over non-posting of judges in vacant banking courts due to which litigants financial institutions and business community is suffering a lot.

Justice Khan also took serious note of the absence of the representative of the federal law secretary and directed him to ensure attendance in the next meetings. Furthermore, the federal government has been asked to establish at least two courts in Faisalabad and one court in Sialkot in order to minimise the backlog of cases.

To improve the existing infrastructure and preservation of judicial record, Justice Khan directed federal government to establish new record rooms with provision of fire proof cupboards; appoint the required number of court staff and renovate the Courts & residences of presiding officers.

It was further recommended that the federal government should enhance house rent of the judges posted in banking courts up to Rs. 50000/- pm. It has been noticed by Justice Khan that the staff of the banking courts, working at the same place for the last 10 to 15 years, be rotated from one division to another by the federal government after devising a rotation policy. Further a direction was issued to the federal government, for appointment of a focal person (not below the rank of Deputy Secretary) to deal with the matters of Punjab banking courts.

Plea to ban Indian movies: The exhibition of Indian movies in Pakistan has been challenged in the Lahore High Court through a writ petition.

Advocate Nadeem Sarwar filed the petition, saying the Indian government has banned Pakistani movies, dramas and artists in the wake of Pulwama attack but uninterrupted exhibition of Indian movies was going on in Pakistani cinemas. He said, “We should show patriotism and ban the Indian movies at once.” He requested the court to issue directions to the federal government to immediately stop the exhibition of Indian movies in Pakistan.