QUETTA, Dec 22: Balochistan High Court Chief Justice Qazi Faez Issa has said that frequent strikes by lawyers are affecting timely disposal of cases.

“Lawyers should avoid observing strikes too frequently as these acts affect timely disposal of under-trial cases,” he said while addressing a ceremony after inaugurating a library in a sessions court here on Wednesday.

Justice Jamal Mandokhail, Justice Tahira Safdar, Justice Muhammad Noor Miskanzai, judges of lower courts and a large number of lawyers attended the ceremony.

Justice Issa said he had received a large number of complaints from people about the delay in disposal of cases pending with different courts of Balochistan because of frequent strikes of lawyers.

“The judiciary should never decide cases under influence and pressure or on the basis of friendship and hatred,” Justice Issa said and underlined the need for the judges and lawyers to keep in view the grievances of the people.He regretted that BHC's decisions on violation of environmental standards were not being followed in letter and spirit. He said the BHC had ordered departments concerned to ensure that standards were followed by those selling meat, sweats and other edibles, but relevant departments did not bother to get these orders implemented.

He said people wanted to go to America and Europe only because of better environment and strict adherence to standards there.

He said that public money should not be used for private purposes, adding that some government institutions were found to be involved in using public amenity plots for commercial purposes.

He said the BHC had disposed of a case against a plan of the-then nazim of Quetta to use 55,000 square feet of land allocated for a bus terminal at Sirki Road for building a commercial centre at a cost of Rs360 million.

Balochistan High Court Bar Association President Hadi Shakeel and Balochistan Bar Association President Baz Muhammad Kakar also addressed the ceremony.