LAHORE, Nov 15: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has proposed to induct 11 district and sessions judges (DSJs) into Punjab anti-terrorism courts (ATCs).

Sources told Dawn on Friday that the proposal had been mooted to adjust a surplus pool of 25 DSJs. Previously, only practising lawyers or additional district and sessions judges were appointed as ATC judges.

Currently, 14 judges are working in anti-terrorism courts in the province. Three of them had been promoted as DSJs but were asked to continue working in the ATCs.

Three DSJs are expected to be inducted into as many ATCs in Lahore. The judge of the fourth ATC, Mahmood Maqbool Bajwa, has already been elevated to the post of district and sessions judge.

The other two ATC judges promoted as DSJs belong to Sargodha and Gujranwala.

The sources said Malik Zulfiqar and Gulzar Butt were among the three DSJs whose names were being considered for appointment in city’s ATCs. They said the number of DSJs in the surplus pool had surpassed the vacancies available in various districts because of recent promotions of additional district and sessions judges.

Each of the newly-appointed ATC judges will get a special allowance of Rs10,000 in addition to his present salary package.

The additional district and sessions judges currently performing duties as anti-terrorism judges will return to sessions courts after induction of DSJs into the ATCs.

An anti-terrorism judge enjoys such special benefits as a police guard, a 1300CC car and 130 litres of petrol a month.

However, it has been learnt that the proposal has created apprehensions in the minds of ATC’s Prosecution and Monitoring Cell personnel who fear that it would affect the performance of the courts. They feel that the DSJs will not work zealously in ATCs since they may consider their appointment to posts that are actually meant for their juniors as unjust.