GUJRAT: The Lahore High Court (LHC) chief justice has approved establishment of an anti-terrorism court (ATC) here for which a formal letter has been written to the Punjab government for making arrangements.

Gujrat District Bar Association President Sabir Ali Cheema told Dawn that the LHC chief justice accorded approval to set up an ATC here, as it had been a longstanding demand of the local legal fraternity.

The ATC would hear cases registered under the anti-terrorism law in Gujrat and neighbouring Mandi Bahauddin districts.

The Punjab government has referred the matter to the district administration to arrange a suitable building for the court. Official sources said the local administration had proposed a courtroom in the Gol Adalat building within the district administration premises.

The courtroom was previously used as the court of a senior civil judge before shifting of civil courts to the newly built judicial complex in the compound of district and sessions court a few weeks ago.

However, sources said the law enforcement agencies did not clear the proposed site and termed it vulnerable from a security standpoint.

Gujranwala ATC judge, Shabeer Hussain, along with officials of the land revenue department as well as police inspected the site proposed by the department and sources said he too expressed reservations over the location for being situated in a congested area.

Official sources said the judge asked the local administration to propose a site where foolproof security arrangements could be ensured. A courtroom in the newly built judicial complex could also be proposed for the ATC.

SETTLEMENT OFFICER COURT: Around 300 cases have been disposed of by the court of settlement officer in two months.

Additional District Collector (Revenue) Syed Musa Raza, who also holds the additional charge of settlement officer, told Dawn that when he assumed charge two months ago there were 682 cases pending while 211 were pending in the court of district collector.

He further said he had started full-day hearings of cases on three alternate days with Saturday and Wednesday for settlement officer’s court and Monday for district collector’s court.

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2018