LARKANA: Chief Justice of Sindh High Court, Muhammad Junaid Ghaffar, has lamented an attitude of procrastination in execution of judiciary’s works and remarked “sadly, our system, mindset, and work ethic are such that we don’t want to complete work on time”.

The chief justice said at a reception hosted in his honour by District Bar Association, Larkana, here on Wednesday that after taking oath as acting and later as permanent chief justice of Sindh High Court, he realised that many of the development projects [of the judiciary] were facing delays.

He said that it became clear soon that although they initiated projects, there was often no preparation for their completion, nor was there any follow-up afterward. The biggest hurdle to these projects, he stressed, was lack of sufficient funding and delays in fund releases.

He said that the government-approved projects went through multiple phases and required time. Unfortunately, due to design flaws, differences in PC documents and frequent administrative changes, even a minor change in a project could delay its progress, he said, adding as a result, many projects of the high court and district judiciary had become mired [in such issues], he said.

“Sadly, our system, mindset, and work ethic are such that we don’t want to complete work on time. Several development projects in Larkana division are currently facing issues, and efforts are being made to address them, he said.

Efforts would be made to carry out work, provided there were no obstacles, on the Larkana DBA’s request for the reconstruction of a library and expansion of the bar premises, he said.

He asked the bar officials to provide a list of required books, assuring them that all necessary books would be provided.

He said that after his appointment as chief justice, he had proposed the establishment of e-libraries, which was appreciated at the time and has since been approved. Funds were now being allocated for e-libraries in the districts that fell within Larkana division, he said.

The Sindh High Court was arranging for e-library facilities in Ratodero and Dokri, each costing Rs1.2 million, which included computers, subscriptions, Internet and other facilities. The goal was to equip both Ratodero and Dokri with full e-library services, he said.

He said that recommendations had also been received for Ratodero and Shahdadkot bars, and efforts would be made to extend similar facilities to them.

He emphasised that the chief justice and the administration committee were not only working on judicial matters but also handling responsibilities like overseeing district bars, administration, infrastructure, case management, case disposal, and appointments.

They monitored entire setup and resolved many issues even before they were brought to light. Not only for Larkana but for other districts as well, they were working to find solutions to existing problems, he said.

He urged that without active participation by lawyers, district administration and district judiciary, the justice system could not progress effectively. Resolving court cases required immense effort and unless the district bars and judiciary were empowered with resources, results could not improve, he said.

The chief justice recalled that he had a connection with Larkana as he had served there as a judge during 2015, 2017 and 2021, and during that time, he had learned not only civil matters but also criminal cases from senior lawyers but he could not return to Larkana since then.

The reception was attended by SHC justices Zafar Ali Rajput, Shamsuddin Abbasi, Khalid Hussain Shahani; Larkana District and Sessions Judge Samkan Hussain Mughal; Anti-Terrorism Court Judge Altaf Hussain Dayo; Anti-Encroachment Court Judge Syed Amjad Ali Shah; DBA President Muhammad Ismail Abro; DBA vice president Javed Ahmed Bleadi; DBA general secretary Ghulam Mustafa Mugheri and a large number of lawyers.

Earlier, DBA office-bearers and members welcomed the chief justice and other judges and presented to them traditional gifts of Ajrak.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2025