ISLAMABAD: The federal government has closed 5 out of 10 accountability courts in Lahore. The staff from the remaining courts has been moved to different tribunals and special courts. The Ministry of Law has issued an official notification about this decision.
According to the private media report, government sources say this step was taken to use the courts effectively and manage resources better. The notification explains that the closed courts have been changed into other legal bodies.
New setup of the courts:
- Accountability Court No. 1 Lahore is now the Intellectual Property Tribunal in Multan.
- Accountability Court No. 3 Lahore has been shifted to the Special Court for Customs and Taxation in Multan.
- Accountability Court No. 4 Lahore is now the Special Court for Customs and Taxation-II in Lahore.
- Accountability Court No. 8 Lahore has become the Intellectual Property Tribunal-II in Lahore.
- Accountability Court No. 7 Lahore has been merged into the Special Judge Central Court in Gujarat.
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The Ministry of Law says this move will improve the judicial system’s performance and allow better use of resources. Now, only 5 accountability courts are working in Lahore, and they will handle the remaining cases. The government sees this as an important step in judicial reforms.
On the other hand, the Supreme Court has released the judges’ roster. Next week, seven benches will hear cases in the Supreme Court.
Bench one will include Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, Justice Shafi Siddiqui, and Justice Shakeel Ahmad. Bench two will have Justice Mansoor Ali Shah and Justice Aqeel Abbas.
Bench three consists of Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Ayesha Malik, and Justice Shahid Waheed. Bench four includes Justice Athar Minallah, Justice Irfan Saadat, and Justice Malik Shehzad.
Bench five has Justice Musarrat Hilali and Justice Aqeel Ahmad Abbasi. Bench six includes Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan, Justice Salahuddin Panhwar, and Justice Aamer Farooq.
Bench seven consists of Justice Hashim Kakar and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim. Two constitutional benches, led by Justice Aminuddin Khan, will be available from April 7 to April 11.
