ISLAMABAD, May 12: All the high courts of the country as well as the Supreme Court of AJK have constituted ‘green benches’ to hear cases, pertaining to environmental issues.

The decision to dedicate green benches have been taken as a follow up to the recommendations taken at the ‘Bhurban Declaration 2012 - A Common Vision on Environment for the South Asian Judiciaries’ during South Asian Conference on Environmental Justice held from March 24 to 25 under the aegis of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Chief Justice of Islamabad High Court (IHC) has constituted a green single green bench and a green division bench in Islamabad.

Further, all the courts of senior civil judges-cum-judicial magistrates as well as civil judges-cum-judicial magistrates at Islamabad (East and West) have been declared as green courts to hear all the cases involving the issues of environment.

The courts of district and sessions judges Islamabad (East and West) have been declared as green courts to hear all the cases/appeals.

The Chief Justice (CJ) of the AJK constituted a green bench headed by the CJ himself and comprising of two other judges Last month, the CJ of the Lahore High Court (LHC) had established a green single bench and a green division bench comprising two judges, on the principal seat at Lahore and different branches.

The courts of senior civil judges-cum-judicial magistrates at the headquarters and the courts of civil judges-cum-judicial magistrates at sub-divisions were declared as green courts.

Whereas all the courts of district and sessions judges in Punjab were given the status of green courts to hear appeals.

Likewise, the chief justice of the Sindh High Court has also established a green single bench and a green division bench at the principal seat to hear cases relating to environmental issues and has further nominated judges to grace these green single and green division benches. He has also established green courts in all the district of Sindh and has declared that all the civil judges and judicial magistrate of respective districts have been assigned the work of presiding over these green courts.

The CJ of Peshawar High Court has also constituted green division bench headed by the CJ and comprising of another judge to be nominated by him.

The Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa of the Balochistan High Court has also constituted green benches and will himself head them at the principal seat Quetta while Justice Noor Meskanzai and Justice Mohammad Hashim Khan Kakar will be the members of the bench at Sibbi.