Concern as 9 judges of lower courts contract COVID-19

LAHORE: As many as nine judges of lower courts have contracted COVID-19, creating serious safety concern among litigants, court staffers and legal fraternity.

The News learnt that judges including Additional District and Sessions judges Sajjad Hussain Sindher, Muhammad Wajid Minhas, Sheikh Anwar Ullah, Massod Ahmad Warriach, Raheela Umar, Zahid Hussain Bakhtiar, Amer Sharif Doger, Family Court judge Muhammad Zubair Sabir and Guardian Judge Asma Zaka are suffering from Covid-19. Moreover, staff members of Additional District and Sessions judge Nadeem Ansar’s court have also contracted Covid-19 along with gunman of Accountability Court judge Amjad Nazir Chaudhary. It is pertinent to mention that Accountability Court judge Jawad Ul Hassan, who is dealing most of the cases against Shahbaz family, has issued orders to limit the number of people in his court amid Covid-19 crisis. Earlier, a banking court judge Zafar Iqbal Naeemhad has passed away due to Coronavirus.

On this issue, Malik Sarood Ahmad, President Lahore Bar Association, while talking to The News, said that judges are contracting Coronavirus due to file work. Explaining it, he said that a case file reaches in the hands of a judge after passing through many hands and thus causes virus transmission. He said that bar has again extensively started implementing safety measures. He suggested that district judiciary should limit the number of daily cases along with limiting number of litigants and court staffers in the court. He further suggested that the j diciary should announce an emegency situation to counter the rising pandemic.