IHC orders probe into ‘gratuity’ claim
ISLAMABAD: The acting Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court (IHC), Justice Sardar Mohammad Sarfaraz Dogar, on Friday took notice of a judge’s letter that accused the court’s staff of seeking ‘gratuity’ from lawyers and litigants.
Justice Dogar has constituted a two-member committee to conduct an inquiry into the matter.
In his letter, circulated among IHC judges on Thursday, Justice Babar Sattar had alleged that the staff transferred from other high courts to the IHC were demanding handouts from counsels and petitioners.
The letter was issued to the secretaries of the acting chief justice and all other judges of the IHC.
The judge suggested that the IHC’s registrar can verify his claim by reviewing the video footage of the past couple of weeks to confirm whether any court staff is seen demanding such gratuity or handouts. He proposed strict action against the staff involved in this practice.
The registrar presented the matter before the acting chief justice, who ordered an immediate investigation into the matter.
The inquiry committee included Registrar Yar Muhammad Walana and Additional Registrar Rai Muhammad Khan.
The inquiry committee was tasked with submitting a detailed report on the issue within three days.
Published in Dawn, March 8th, 2025
