ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) is finally moving to its new building on the Constitution Avenue completed in over a decade and with multi-billion rupees budget.

However, the lawyers as well as the law officers of the federal government expressed dismay as there is no proper place for them in the new building.

The IHC administration is persuading them to shift in makeshift arrangements.

Besides, the construction of Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA) building could not be started in timely manner.

In 2012, the Capital Development Authority had approved allotment of five acres for the IHC building.

Initially, there was an adequate space within the main compound for the IHCBA, however, a separate space was allotted to the bar during the revision of building plan.

The lawyers were expecting to have a reasonable space for their representatives however they were shocked to know that the IHC administration was moving them into the prefabricated structure.

The law officers including the additional attorney general, deputy and assistant attorney generals were also asked to settle within the small prefabricated structure. The beat reporters were also allotted a tiny portion in the temporary building.

Even senior lawyers of the federal capital expressed dismay over the IHCBA in the new building.

Former President of the IHCBA Raja Inam Ameen Minhas said that when he was elected representative he was assured the bar would be given a proper building.

He said that the judicial system consisted of bar and bench while the litigants are the real stakeholders.

According to him, the media being an important component of the judicial system should also be given easy accesses to the courtrooms.

He further said that the bench must give equal importance to the bar for a congenial working environment.

Previously, the construction work on the new IHC building had hit snag in April 2015 when the allegations related to lack of transparency in the pre-qualification of the contractor firm ‘Interhome’ came to the fore.

The contract was cancelled for not being in accordance with rules of Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA).

The IHC was established in a building in G-10, which was originally meant for the district courts.

Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2023