THIS is with reference to the lawyers’ demands for the creation of a high court bench in Faisalabad. Owing to the shortage of judges in the higher judiciary a large number of cases are reported to have piled up while the public suffers great hardship on account of delay in seeking and obtaining justice.

The Supreme Judicial Council at one of its meetings asked the government to fill vacant posts of judges, but both the federal and provincial governments have not yet complied with the demand as they seem busy with more ‘important’ issues such as creation of new provinces and protecting the breach of their privileges by the Election Commission of Pakistan when it asked for verification of their degrees.

Especially, in the wake of upcoming elections, the leaders of these two parties have waged a war of words. The Pakistan People’s Party proposed the new province of Bahawalpur in south Punjab, while the PML-N insists on restoration of Bahawalpur province, which never existed.

As for the lawyers’ demand, prior to 1970, only the principal seat of the Lahore High Court was functional for the entire province. The lawyers of Rawalpindi raised the demand for a high court bench in the city on the ground that districts like Rawalpindi, Attock, and Jehlum were located at a long distance from the LHC and, hence, the litigant public had to bear extra expenses in terms of money and time, on top of regular court fees.

The government agreed to the request and established a high court bench in Rawalpindi. Later, two more benches — Multan and Bahawalpur — were established in order to facilitate the litigating public. The increase in benches resulted in a need for more lawyers.

Now the lawyers of Faisalabad struggle for a high court bench in Faisalabad. Although their demands lack reason because Faisalabad is only a couple of hours’ distance from Lahore, they gain strength in their unruly behaviour and violently quarrelled with the district judiciary, staged protests and held a sit-in at the cost of damaging the image of their noble profession.

This also goes against their ethical responsibilities to work for their client in all sincerity. On the contrary, they seem to be doing protests and sit-ins at the cost of their clients and the taxpayers.

Instead, they should work with the judiciary for quick and early disposal of cases to lighten the burden and facilitate delivery of justice to the public. They should at least wait until the issue of new provinces is settled as in such a case new high courts are bound to be created, changing the entire scene.

Politicians, on the other hand, should for once keep public interest in mind and get over the issue of new provinces one way or the other.

RAJA SHAFAATULLAH Islamabad