LAHORE, Feb 12: The Lahore High Court on Monday ordered all judicial officers in Punjab to pass orders on warrants only in the presence of under-trail prisoners.

Justice Khwaja Muhammad Sharif gave the directions while taking notice of non-production of under-trial prisoners by the prison authorities before courts.

He also directed all sessions judges to make functional Criminal Justice Coordination Committees (CJCC), established under article 109 of the Police Order, 2002, for settlement of such issues. All problems faced by courts and accused would be solved at the local level if these committees started functioning properly, he observed.

The court issued these directions on the bail petition of a murder case accused, Samiullah.

Earlier, Punjab Home Secretary Khusru Pervaiz and Punjab prisons IG Sarfraz Mufti and Deputy Prosecutor General Nasirud Nayyar appeared before the court under the orders to explain delays in production of under-trial prisoners before courts.

The home secretary admitted before the court that sometimes under-trial prisoners were not produced before courts by the jail authorities due to non-availability of guards or some other reasons.