ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Aamer Farooq said a law was being devised for the trial of under-custody prisoners through video link.

Justice Farooq said this while speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the lawyers’ lounge in the IHC building. He said the high court administration was also introducing the facility of e-filing and with the adaptation of the latest technology litigants and lawyers would file and pursue their cases more effectively.

The chief justice said the policy was also being amended for swift disposal of petitions and expeditious clearance of the backlog. He asked the lawyers to step forward to end the misery of litigants.

Islamabad High Court Bar Association PresidentNaveed Malik also spoke.

It may be mentioned that the IHC chief justice had last week ordered to mark the attendance of under-trial prisoners through video link.

Justice Farooq issued the direction while presiding over a meeting on the construction of Islamabad Central Jail and issues related to the transportation of prisoners from Adiala jail to the trial courts and vice versa.

The court was told that around 15-20 vehicles bring dozens of prisoners, including those who are only supposed to mark their attendance in the Islamabad courts from the jail, on a daily basis, which costs millions of rupees.

Justice Farooq ordered that prisoners who are brought to court for marking their attendance only should join the proceeding through a video link.

He was informed that due to the delay in the construction of Islamabad’s jail, the escalation cost had surpassed tenfold the original estimate. Justice Farooq directed the early completion of the jail.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2023