ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) administration has expressed concerns over the way the court premises was turned into a ‘no-go area’ by the capital administration and police during the appearance of PML-N leader Maryam Nawaz before the court in connection with the hearing of an appeal against her conviction in the Avenfield properties reference on Tuesday.

The IHC registrar office in a letter submitted to the chief commissioner, deputy commissioner and the inspector general of police (IGP) stated: “While the maintenance of law and order is the exclusive domain of the ICT administration and there must be proper security arrangements, however, it is expected that while devising the security plan, the worthy registrar IHC and the President IHC Bar Association should be taken in confidence, well in advance and the security plan should be finalised in consultation with them.”

The IHC administration asked the district administration and the IGP “to ensure proper security plan and arrangements on hearing of high-profile cases fixed before the court in consultation with the registrar and bar office-bearers in such a manner that it does not cause inconvenience to court staff, lawyers and litigants.”

Police officials not only manhandled and stopped Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) President Chaudhry Haseeb but also barred lawyers, court staff and litigants from entering the court when Ms Nawaz appeared before the court.

Even senior puisne judge Justice Aamer Farooq, heading the division bench that heard the appeals of the Sharif family, remarked that he personally witnessed road blockades and the staff also found it difficult to reach the IHC.

The police not only blocked the Service Road of G-10 but also sealed the streets along the IHC premises.

Later, the IHCBA convened a meeting in which its secretary Sohail Akbar Chaudhry and other office-bearers said the district administration failed to perform its job.

Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat issued a standard operating procedure (SOP) for entrance of lawyers, court staff, litigants and media persons in the IHC on the event of hearing of high-profile cases.

According to the SOP, they can enter the premises upon showing their identity cards to the security staff.

Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2020