ISLAMABAD, Oct 5: Shifting of 11 special courts to the Federal Judicial Complex has been delayed for a month as the Pakistan Public Works Department (PWD) has failed to provide basic facilities including furniture there.

The complex was scheduled to be operational by September 30, but now the deadline has been extended till October 30. Its building in Sector G-11/4 was constructed in August last year but it could not be provided electricity, gas and water facilities.

Hence the special courts including anti-terrorism court, accountability court, banking and other courts will continue working at their current makeshift arrangements in different areas of the capital.

Last week, the law ministry issued a notification for the appointment of district and sessions judge Malik Nazir Ahmed as special judge central for FIA’s special court. He was given additional charge of control of narcotics substances (CNS) court of the federal capital.

The newly appointed judge sits in his previous office of the member inspection team (MIT) at the Islamabad High Court (IHC), sources in the IHC told Dawn.

Earlier, the charge of both the courts was with the accountability judge, Mohammad Bashir, who temporarily sits in old building of Federal Shariat court in Sector F-6/3.

Since there is no court room for the newly appointed CNS and FIA’s special court therefore the cases pending in these courts would be delayed for indefinite period, the sources said.

The temporary arrangements lack adequate sitting arrangements for the judges, court staff, lawyers and the litigants.

Former law minister Dr Babar Awan had laid the foundation stone of the complex in September 2010.

The complex has a covered area of 16,000 square metres and consists of 20 chambers for judges, bar rooms and judges’ lodges.

Access to Justice’ programme bore Rs398 million construction cost of the complex.

MN Construction, the contractor of the complex in August last year had informed the Islamabad High Court (IHC) administration that as per the IHC administration’s directions the complex had been completed and was ready to be handed over.

The IHC administration in addition to the above mentioned special courts also plans to establish custom court, labour court and environment tribunal there.

In January this year the then law minister Farooq H. Naek had formally inaugurated the judicial complex.

Sources said last year Rs50 million were released for provision of necessary facilities and furniture at the complex but the extension of Federal Judicial Academy ate away a large chunk of the amount.

A senior IHC official when contacted said that the matter related to delay in the functioning of the complex was examined at a meeting presided by IHC registrar Meeran Jan Kakar on September 24.

He said during the meeting the PWD officials assured the IHC administration that the complex would have all the required facilities within a month.