GUJRAT: The Lahore High Court has allowed the establishment of three special courts in Gujrat that will be working one day a week.

The judges presiding over these special courts for hearing cases pertaining to banking, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and drugs will work on different days of the week.

District Bar Association president Sabir Ali Cheema told Dawn on Sunday that these special courts would also take cases from neighboring Mandi Bahauddin district to facilitate local litigants and lawyers.

Till now these courts had been working at the divisional headquarters, Gujranwala. However, Gujrat DBA had been striving for their establishment here and now a large number of litigants and lawyers belonging to both the districts could benefit from the step taken by the LHC.

Mr Cheema said a special central court of FIA would also be established here soon on a regular basis as the LHC had already sent a proposal to the federal law ministry in this regard.

He said until the approval for regular court, the FIA court would be held here every Friday, while Drug and Banking courts on Monday and Wednesday, respectively.

An anti-corruption court that was being held here every Friday, would now be held on Tuesday, he added.

The new courts, he said, would be held in the courtroom of senior civil judge who would move to the newly-built judicial complex.

The DBA president said the bar had proposed shifting of the district consumer court from Shadman Colony to the district courts premises for convenience of litigants and lawyers.

With the initiative, the number of special courts in Gujrat has risen to five and as many district and sessions judges would hear the cases here, besides the regular D&SJ.

Former president of the DBA, Chaudhary Habibullah, said the number of young lawyers had been rising in Gujrat and establishment of special courts would be helpful in their professional learning.

Published in Dawn, October 23rd, 2017