LAHORE: A day after visiting the new Judicial Complex in Multan to hear out the anguished lawyers, Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar on Thursday reprimanded the registrar of the Lahore High Court for a lack of facilities in the building and directed him to move the sessions court back to the old place within 10 days.

Conducting suo motu proceedings at the Lahore registry, a three-judge Supreme Court bench headed by CJP Nisar scolded LHC Registrar Khurshid Anwar Rizvi for misleading the authorities on the issue of shifting of Multan sessions courts to the new place.

“You also brought me an incorrect report last (Wednesday) night,” the CJP said while telling the registrar off and asked him about the reasons for what he said the haphazard shifting of the sessions courts to the new complex. The chief justice snubbed the registrar when he tried to explain his position and asked him to only answer the queries of the bench.

“What made you shift courts to a place having no basic facility,” the CJP asked and pointed out that even his motorcade took more than 20 minutes to reach the new complex from the city.

The bench also having Justice Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Ijazul Ahsan noted that the new complex lacked the most basic facilities for lawyers and litigants such as covered chambers, Bar room, canteen and seating areas. It regretted that the sessions judge of Multan also misled the court on the issue.

The CJP held the high court registrar responsible for the blunder and remarked, “We are surprised at your wisdom.” He ordered the registrar to move the sessions courts back to the previous place within 10 days and make all the requisite facilities available at the judicial complex within three months. He also directed the registrar to comply with the order in letter and spirit or be ready to face the consequences.

On Wednesday, the chief justice paid a visit to the judicial complex on Mattital Road. Representatives of the Pakistan Bar Council and many senior lawyers joined the chief justice and apprised him of the problems the lawyers and litigants have been facing since shifting of courts. The CJP had promised the lawyers that he would help solve their issues after consulting LHC Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah.

A group of lawyers had been protesting against shifting of the sessions courts from Kutchery Chowk to the new place last month. During the course of one such protest the lawyers went violent and ransacked the furniture and other valuables at the new complex and some of them later courted arrest following registration of cases.

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2017