After lawyers in Multan protested the shifting of sessions
courts to a newly-constructed Judicial Complex, Chief Justice of
Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Wednesday ordered the relocation of
courts to their previous address near Kutchery Chowk within 10 days.
Enraged
lawyers in Multan last week stormed and vandalised the new judicial
building on Mattital Road which began functioning on Nov 14, with the
main bone of contention being that the facility does not house their
chambers.
The lawyers had protested saying that due to
the rain and cold weather, they would face grave difficulties as they
had to operate in the grounds outside the buildings.
Around 39 lawyers — including Lahore High Court Bar Association-Multan President Sher Zaman Qureshi — were booked for vandalism.
The
CJP today expressed his displeasure with the Lahore High Court
Registrar Khursheed Anwar Rizi, questioning the reason behind the
facility's rushed inauguration when it did not appear to be ready for
use.
CJP Nisar, who met with a delegation of lawyers in
Lahore earlier this week, ordered that the courts be returned to the old
complex in Multan within 10 days and the new facilities be improved
within three months.
The CJP observed that the new
complex lacked a decent bar room and and that it was located in place
that was practically farmland.
The construction of the
judicial complex began in 2005 on 1,000 acres of land after the Asian
Development Bank granted a loan under the Access to Justice Programme.