Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The project for issuance of new machine readable cards to journalists engaged in coverage of court’s proceedings, establishment of a Judicial Safety Force (JSF) for fool proof security of courts and bar associations and prevention of any terror incident in the prevailing situation has not been materialised despite the lapse of two years.

A security plan evolved for the high court Rawalpindi bench, courts in Rawalpindi division, and bar associations has also not been enforced under which ban was to be imposed on unauthorised persons seeking access to the courts.

Sources told the Daily Times that under the new security plan active and vigilant youths were to be inducted in the proposed Judicial Safety Force (JSF) in collaboration with the government and they were to be provided a specific uniform, state of the art weapons and internal wireless system. This newly proposed force was to work under the supervision of the judiciary and the bar associations.

Likewise, special machine readable cards (chip cards) were to be issued to lawyers and journalists engaged in coverage of hearing of cases in the high court on a daily basis and a special machine was to be installed on the central entry point of the high court. The card holders were to put their cards into this machine in order to enter into the building.

The protective boundary wall was to be constructed around all bar associations and courts at the district and the tehsil level. An additional strength of law enforcement agencies and police was to be deployed and additional walk through gates and closed circuit cameras were to be installed therein. Special watch rooms on the central entry points of the courts were to be built and special visitors’ cards on the pattern of the Supreme Court were to be issued to citizens for entry into the court’s premises on the occasion of hearing of their respective cases. Entry and regular searching of the those who visit courts in connection with hearing of their cases or some other work was to be made mandatory.

Secretary General District Bar Association (DBA), Rawalpindi, Sardar Bilal Qayyum told the Daily Times that the former DCO Rawalpindi, Sajid Zafar Dall, during a meeting with the bar had assured to provide six walk through gates and closed circuit cameras immediately adding that these were available with them. Five entry points including two main entry points for entry into the district courts and three entry points among them lack the facility of walk through gates. Police deployment in district courts is alarmingly less despite the fact that the bar association through a letter had requested the interior ministry to deploy Rangers, he added.

Even normal security facilities were not provided, what to speak of a judicial force and machine readable cards, he lamented. District courts are in dire need of 10 walk through gates, 20 security cameras and increase in police force to a reasonable extent at present, he commented.