7,000 applications of lawyers received for financial support, SHC told

As many as 7,000 applications have been received by the Sindh Bar Council (SBC) from lawyers from across the province for financial support, the SBC told the Sindh High Court on Wednesday.

During the hearing of the petitions seeking safety measures at courts and financial relief for the lawyers during the coronavirus lockdown, the SBC submitted that they had received 7,000 applications for which a financial support of at least Rs70,000,000 was required to be distributed among the lawyers, with each of them receiving Rs.10,000.

The SBC counsel submitted that a request had been made to the Sindh and the federal governments for the allocation of the funds. The counsel submitted that the Punjab government had approved some amount for the lawyers in view of the coronavirus crisis and the federal government had also sought time from the Lahore High Court with regard to the allocation of funds in this regard.

The SHC’s division bench, headed by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar, directed the provincial law officer to submit a progress report on behalf of the chief secretary and the finance secretary, and ordered the federal law officer to file comments of the federal government, confirming if they were helping some lawyers in Punjab and asking what efforts were being made for lawyers in Sindh.

The court also inquired the provincial law officer as what preventive measures could be taken at court premises as well as for the testing of the court staff and lawyers for the COVID-19.

The provincial law officer submitted a reply of the health secretary, with opinion of the Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases Society of Pakistan (MMIDSP), mentioning that there was no scientific evidence that spraying of bleach or chlorine solution blocked the transmission of the coronavirus. He submitted that there was ample evidence that spraying bleach directly on humans was harmful and was prohibited by the World Health Organisation (WHO) because it could damage eyes, skin, throat and lungs.

Regarding arrangements of the tests for the COVID-19 at the court premises, the chief technical officer of the health department, Dr Sikandar Memon, assured the court that some arrangements would be made at the High Court clinic for examination and collecting samples for the tests after a proper examination.

The registrar of the SHC informed the court that only three thermal guns were provided to the SHC, whereas some of them were not working, while the SHC at least needed five thermal guns.

He submitted that no such arrangements have been made at the city courts where advocates and litigants were continuously attending the courts as the courts were functional.

The court directed the health secretary to provide 11 thermal guns to the SHC registrar for the use of at least five thermal guns at the SHC, while the remaining would be distributed to the respective district judges of the districts of Karachi for checking the temperature of lawyers, litigants and the staff members before entering the court premises.

The court directed the SHC registrar to submit a report with regard to the requirements of thermal guns at Sukkur bench, the circuit courts and other districts courts in Sindh by May 11.