SARGODHA, April 20: The district Bar associations of Sargodha, Khushab, Mianwali and Bhakkar have demanded that a bench of the Lahore High Court should be set up at Sargodha.

The demand was raised through a resolution unanimously adopted at a meeting attended by the office-bearers of the Sargodha, Khushab, Mianwali and Bhakkar Bar association here on Tuesday.

Punjab Bar Council members Mian Naseer Ahmed, Tasadaq Hussain Baloch and Mazhar Lillah also attended the meeting, presided over by Sargodha DBA president Chaudhry Shamas Naveed Cheema. They assured the participants in the meeting that they would plead the case at all fora.

The officials of the Bars said that around 70 per cent cases of the residents of Sargodha division had been lying pending in Lahore High Court's principal seat. The prime minister had given a go-ahead for the setting up of a Lahore High Court bench at Faisalabad. "This necessitates the setting of a bench at Sargodha."

According to them, a building has been vacant which can be used as court room while another vacant building can be used for the residence of the judge. The meeting appealed President Pervez Musharaf and Prime Minister Zafarullah Jamali to issue directive for the establishment of a bench at Sargodha besides Faisalabad.

Meanwhile, local leaders of various political parties, social, cultural and trades organizations have supported the demand of DBA for a bench at Sargodha.