ABBOTTABAD, Nov 12: President Peshawar High Court Bar Association, Abbottabad Circuit bench, Adam Khan Jadoon has lashed out at provincial and federal law ministries for not taking care of the damage done to court buildings in five quake-hit districts of NWFP.

Speaking at a joint press conference at the Abbottabad Press Club here on Saturday, Mr Jadoon demanded that the NWFP government, Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court and Chief Justice of Supreme Court should direct the concerned quarters to take necessary steps to do the needful. He was accompanied by president District Bar Association Abbottabad Amir Hussain Abbasi and others.

Mr Jadoon said that the courts in Abbottabad, Mansehra, Battagram, Shangla and Kohistan districts were being held in the lawns and the cases were being heard in the open which was against the sanctity of justice.

He said that despite appeals by the lawyers community, no official from the provincial or the federal law departments had bothered to visit and assess the damages done to the court buildings.

Temporary arrangements have been made for the PHC Abbottabad circuit bench in the judicial lodges, which are also in poor condition, while most of the lower courts have been shifted to the Adda and old GTS terminal, which was earlier used as a private bus stand.