ISLAMABAD: The interior ministry on Thursday told the Islamabad High Court that the construction of district courts complex in the capital would start from January next year.

The ministry, in response to a petition filed by local lawyer Raja Saimul Haq Satti seeking construction of the district courts complex, submitted a report to IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah that states: “The actual start of construction work of sessions division west at Mauve Area G-10/1, Islamabad is January 2020, subject to release of funds.”

On May 6, the high court had directed the federal government to come up with a time frame for shifting of the district and sessions courts from the rented shops of Sector F-8 to a designated place.

It further directed the government to say when the construction of the high court building would complete so that the construction of the judicial complex could be started at the G-10 plot which was currently in possession of the IHC.

The interior ministry’s report says that the law ministry is the sponsor of the project which is being executed by the Pakis­tan Public Works Department (PWD).

It says that the law and justice division has informed the ministry that the construction of the IHC building will be completed by June 2020 and construction of buildings for the sessions division east and west will take three more years subject to availability of funds.

The PWD has informed the interior ministry that work on the IHC building in Sector G-5/1 Islamabad started in 2015 with a stipulated completion period of 36 months.

However, the work is still ongoing.

In his petition, advocate Satti has told the court that the federal capital does not have a proper set-up for the lower judiciary and, as a result, the litigants and people working in the district and sessions courts have to stay in miserable conditions.

The court adjourned the hearing till June 25.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2019