KARACHI, Jan 25: A high-level meeting, presided over by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad here on Wednesday, decided to shift 140 courts, including the city and special courts, to a judicial complex in the centre of the city. The governor directed the chief secretary to identify and examine the land for the proposed complex and give it a final touch.

The complex would also have residential facilities. The governor asked the officials concerned to finalize matters with regard to a suitable location within a week.

Dr Ibad said that in order to provide people an easy access to the courts and seek quick justice, it was necessary to shift all courts located in different parts of the city to one place.

“Presence of a judicial complex in the centre of the city would greatly help judges, lawyers and court staff as well,” he added.

The meeting, besides considering expansion of the Sindh High Court premises in view of heavy workload, also examined different requirements of the all courts functioning in the province.

Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court Mr Justice Sabihuddin Ahmed, Mr Justice Arif Hussain Khilji, Advocate General Anwar Mansoor Khan, Additional Advocate General Qazi Khalid Ali, City Nazim Syed Mustafa Kamal, Hyderabad Nazim Kanwar Naveed Jamil, secretaries of the concerned departments and DCOs were among those present at the meeting.

AAG Qazi Khalid Ali briefed the meeting about the progress in the implementation of various decisions taken at the previous meeting.

The meeting was informed that a piece of land adjacent to the Northern Bypass had been identified for the establishment of the Judicial Academy and the related matters would be finalized after completion of necessary formalities. The governor directed the officials concerned to allocate funds for the project in the Annual Development Programme of the next fiscal.

Provision of housing facilities for the employees of the courts in Hyderabad, Tando Adam and Dadu also came under review besides the courts’ other requirements. The concerned sessions judges and DCOs, after reviewing the situation in Hyderabad and Tando Adam, will present their reports in this regard.

The meeting also reviewed establishment of judicial complexes for Kandhkot, Qambar, Larkana and Umerkot.

DCO Jamshoro Khawar Jamil informed the meeting that a piece of land adjacent to the site of the proposed district administration complex would be allocated for the local judicial complex. The meeting agreed to the idea.

The meeting was also informed that a decision had been taken with regard to the payment of judicial allowance to judicial officers. Dr Ibad issued directive for the quick completion of the process viz-a-viz payment of 10 per cent utility allowance to the officers.—PPI/APP