Bars form seven-member committee for LHC benches

LAHORE: The leadership of top lawyers’ bodies on Monday deliberated upon the demand for creating more benches of the Lahore High Court and constituted a seven-member committee to reach a peaceful solution of the matter.

The meeting hosted by the Lahore High Court Bar Association (LHCBA) resolved that violent agitation by lawyers to press their demand was not an appropriate way to persuade the authorities concerned.

The participants expressed their concern over the growing protests and violence by lawyers in Gujranwala, Sargodha, Sahiwal, Faisalabad and DG Khan Divisions for the creation of new benches of the high court. They observed that holding protest was a basic right of the lawyers but provided that the activity remained peaceful and within the limits of morality.

LHCBA’s secretary Warraich told media that the committee would meet presidents of bar associations from the divisions on Tuesday (today) to find out a peaceful solution of the matter. He said litigants had been suffering a lot due to lockdown and strikes being observed by the lawyers in the respective divisions.

A full court comprising all judges of the LHC had in 2016 resolved that there was no need to create more permanent regional benches of the court.

PBC Raheel Kamran Sheikh has recently filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the decision of the LHC full court and seeking a direction for enforcement of fundamental rights of the citizens, maintenance of public order based on the rule of law ensuring equal access to justice to all citizens who are residents of Faisalabad, Gujranwala, DG Khan, Sargodha and Sahiwal Divisions.