KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has written to the Law Department to establish gas utility courts. Sources said SHC Registrar Ghulam Mustafa Memon had written a letter to the Federal Law Ministry for establishment of gas utility courts in the province as envisaged in the Gas (Theft Control & Recovery) Act 2016. The complaints and criminal cases lodged under the Act are being referred to ordinary courts despite the fact that they don’t have jurisdiction to hear the cases particularly, pre-arrest bail applications, which involve liberty of person and require urgent hearing. It was stated that in order to avoid chaotic situation, the chief justice has authorised district and sessions judges in Sindh, as stop-gap arrangement, to deal with the cases registered under the newly promulgated statute within their territorial limits and assigning jurisdiction to judicial magistrate in their respective districts for carrying out day to day criminal proceedings and trial until establishment of the utility courts. The registrar had asked the authorities to take immediate steps to establish courts in Sindh.