The Lahore High Court building is a heritage monument. It is the place where honourable judges provide justice to the common man and learned lawyers assist them. The building is held in high esteem by all lawyers and judges. To them it is above all a place of learning. They come to the courts to learn something new everyday. To practising lawyers it is like a second home.
No one likes to pollute his or her own house because at end of the day, they will have to clean it. It is the same with our work place and our environment. If we pollute it today our coming generations will have to clean it tomorrow.
When Allama Muhammad Iqbal returned to his homeland after his studies in Europe, he is reported to have stated that “Wahan Islam toe dekha, Musalman nahin dekhay,
Yahan Musalman toe dekhay, islam nahin dekha.”
We claim to be Muslims, living in an Islamic Republic. A Muslim fulfils half of his obligations when he keeps himself and his surroundings neat and clean. But when you look at the building of the civil courts in Lahore, it seems like the understanding of cleanliness here falls below the definition of the word. This is the most neglected issue in the history of the civil court of Lahore and the Lahore High Court; it is one of the most important issues, which should be addressed urgently. The courts have a history and purpose. Keeping them clean is our responsibility.
A new executive has just been elected by the Lahore High Court Bar Association. The new leaders delivered their speeches on the same lawn. Unfortunately none of them raised this issue of cleanliness
When young law graduates enter the profession of law, they usually do not like going to lower courts because of poor hygiene standards there. Foreign law graduates who have experienced trials in magistrates’ courts in London and have visited Lincoln’s Inn, Highgate House and Cumberland would agree with me that people living abroad are following the Sunnah in a more dignified way and they clean their toilets in a way that you don’t find a single particle of dust anywhere.
Their courtrooms and toilets were built before our country came into existence; the reason why they are well maintained is because special measures are taken every single day to clean the premises. The field of Lincoln’s Inn enlightens your mood with a sweet aroma, which comes from the plantation around the premises. Whereas when you enter the Lahore High Court and walk through Kiyani Hall or the canteen corridor, a gush of stench hits you. The sewerage line in the lawn is blocked. It contaminates the place every other day and lawyers have to sit there and eat. It is hard even to stand thre because of the bad smell and the overflowing gutter.
A new executive has just been elected by the Lahore High Court Bar Association. The new leaders delivered their speeches on the same lawn. Unfortunately none of them raised this issue.
The Lahore High Court, the Civil Courts, the Cooperatives Building, the LDA Plaza and the Sessions Courts have the dirtiest washrooms in the city. It is astonishing to see that no news channel has ever raised this issue.
The canteens of bar rooms have also never been inspected for food standards. The menu may be as old as 10 years. The courtroom buildings have no day care centre for females. A new executive is elected every year but conditions of the courts do not change. Who should be held responsible for this? I request all lawyers in Pakistan to kindly Google the pictures of courts and buildings in our neighbouring countries and decide for themselves.
I believe the bar councils need to take certain measures to eliminate these problems. First, the washrooms need renovations. The sewers need to be cleaned and a team of sweepers appointed to ensure cleanliness of the washrooms on a daily basis. Second, there must be waste bins and signs boards to raise awareness amongst the visitors not to litter the court premises. Imposing fines on those who do not comply can do wonders. Third, self-awareness is as important as projection of rules. There is a need for environment related seminars similar to the first Environmental Law Conference which took place at the Lahore High Court on September 1, 2018. Enough water coolers should be installed and canteens should be visited by the authorities to inspect the food standards.
The writer is a practising lawyer of the High Court and the managing partner at Khatanas’ Law Chamber