ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC), National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) and Higher Education Commission (HEC) on Monday introduced measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

The IHC has issued guidelines for maintaining social distance in order to prevent the risk of contracting COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

The high court has advised the district judiciary not to hear routine cases, and judges have been directed to visit jail premises to grant or consider bail matters and judicial remand for accused individuals. Police typically bring packed vans of under trial prisoners to secure their judicial remand.

The IHC chief justice has notified a social distancing strategy for the sessions court, under which the district and sessions judges have been asked not to fix cases that are not urgent until April 5.

Court issues social distancing guidelines, Nadra to screen visitors to centres across country and HEC suspends walk-in attestation facility

District and sessions judges have also been asked to nominate a judge who will visit jail premises to consider bail applications for accused people and remands of under-trial prisoners, a circular issued by the IHC said.

The circular also asked that civil cases will not be fixed and lawyers and litigants will stay outside courtrooms until their case is called for hearing.

The IHC administration has asked the Ministry of National Health Services (NHS) to provide a thermal temperature gun at the court’s entry points. Those found to have a cough, fever or flu-like symptoms will be taken to the dispensary while suspected patients will be shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences quarantine by police.

Police officials deployed at the entry gate have been directed to wear masks and not to shake hands. Gathering in the high court or district court premises has been banned.

The administration also instructed people to observe proper hygiene in the cafeteria. The biometric attendance system has been temporarily suspended and employees are asked to mark their attendance manually.

They have also been told to report in the event that a member of their family is diagnosed with COVID-19.

The IHC has constituted a crisis management committee comprising judges of the high court and members of the bar to address the emergency situation in the IHC; a subcommittee comprising sessions judges and district bar members has also been formed.

Nadra to screen applicants

Nadra has decided that people will be screened for COVID-19 before they are allowed into centres across the country.

These directions were issued by Nadra Chairman Usman Yousaf Mobeen during his visit to the Nadra mega-centre on Monday to review measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

He said applicants should only be allowed into Nadra centres after they are tested with a temperature gun. He said applicants should also be asked to sanitise their hands before the biometric thumb impression verification.

The biometric machine will also be sprayed with disinfectant after each registration, Mr Mobeen said, adding that all Nadra centres across the country should be disinfected.

HEC suspends walk-in degree attestation facility

The HEC on Monday suspended the walk-in degree attestation facility for an indefinite period of time.

The decision was taken as a precautionary measure to minimise physical contact to prevent spread of the novel coronavirus. HEC has advised applicants to get their degrees verified using courier service.

HEC stated on its website: “In pursuance of the instructions by the government of Pakistan in the wake of declaration of COVID-19 as a pandemic by the World Health Organisation (WHO), all concerned stakeholders are hereby informed that facility of attestation through walk-in mode at HEC head office Islamabad and all regional centres will remain suspended w.e.f. March 17, 2020 until further orders.”

Applicants have been advised to apply for degree attestation through HEC’s website and select the ‘courier’ option for scheduling appointments. They should then visit their nearest TCS office with the application form, original documents, attestation fee and courier charges.

“The TCS (designated courier service) will be responsible for attestation & return of educational documents to applicants,” the statement said.

HEC spokesperson Ayesha Ikram said that the facility had been suspended as a precautionary measure in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. She said the HEC would restart the facility once the situation is normal.

— Additional reporting by Iftikhar A. Khan & Kashif Abbasi

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2020