KARACHI: Considering the challenges the judicial system is facing here and the hardships litigants have to bear while accessing justice, Supreme Court lawyer and human rights advocate Zia Ahmed Awan has filed an important Constitutional Petition in the Sindh High Court (SHC) under Article 199 of the Constitution of Pakistan on Monday (27th Jan, 2025).
This Petition not only highlights the shortcomings of the judicial system but also offers practical suggestions for their resolution. The purpose of the Petition is to ensure speedy and effective delivery of justice to the citizens of the Metropolis. A number of renowned lawyers have taken up its advocacy.
Zia Awan, flanked by fellow lawyers, talked to journalists at a Presser held at SHC’s Media Corner, in order to highlight the Petition’s key aspects. He told that the Constitutional Petition highlighted several serious problems in the Port City’s judicial structure, including rampant corruption, slow and inefficient bailiff system, ineffective security system, unavailability of fire safety equipment, inadequate toilets and lack of facilities for the disabled.
Commenting on the background of the reforms presented in the Constitutional Petition, Zia Awan said that the initiative of former CJP Qazi Faez Isa to shift all the federal courts located in Karachi to a single building had been included as an example. This vision of Qazi Faez Isa laid the foundation for improving the judicial process and promoting connectivity between the courts.
Along with this, Zia Awan said, the work done by them under the leadership of Lahore High Court Chief Justice Neelam Munir regarding the establishment of the Central Judicial Complex in Lahore had also been presented as an example.
Maintaining that such facilities were seen in judicial systems of developed countries like UK and USA, Zia Awan pointed towards Central Judicial Complexes in Delhi and Mumbai. He said there special programs for the protection of witnesses had been initiated along with ramps for the disabled, accessible washrooms.
Regarding the measures recommended for the SHC in the Constitutional Petition, Zia Ahmed Awan said that it proposed to merge the courts of Karachi into a Central Judicial Complex. It has been proposed to provide modern facilities in this complex, including special arrangements for the disabled, improvement in the security system and comprehensive measures for the protection of witnesses.
This Complex will not only facilitate access to justice for litigants, lawyers and court staff but will also end unnecessary delays in court proceedings. Talking about other proposals included in the Petition, Zia Awan Advocate said that until the central judicial complex was built, arrangements should be made for the elimination of encroachments in the court premises, better management of cleanliness and proper parking arrangements within the court premises.
Newspakistan.tv
