LAHORE - After the approval of Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan, the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday issued a directive to the district judiciary for taking preventive measures in the wake of third wave of Coronavirus.
According to the guidelines issued by the Director General District Judiciary, Judges, staff, lawyers and every person appearing in the courts will be required to wear a face mask and gloves. In addition, police staff on duty in courtrooms, parking lots, main corridors and court premises will be required to wear face masks and not to shake hands.
Hand sanitizers will be provided at the main gate entrance, parking entrance, main building entrance and courtroom premises, it added.
According to the guidelines, court premises and rooms will be disinfected twice a day with the disinfectant. Employees who have a family member infected with the corona virus will immediately intimate the relevant authorities.
All employees will wash their hands thoroughly with soap as soon as they arrive at the office and avoid unnecessary interaction, shaking hands and embracing with co-workers. Court rooms and offices will be kept ventilated. As per directions, only concerned persons, lawyers and parties will be allowed to appear in the courts, while unnecessary persons, associates and juniors will not be allowed to accompany them. Lawyers, parties and individuals whose cases are not scheduled to be heard should avoid coming to the court premises in order to avoid overcrowding.
Motorway gang-rape case: ATC records statements of accused
An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) on Tuesday recorded statements of the accused under Section 342 CrPC during the hearing of Motorway gang-rape case in jail. According to the prosecution, the defence counsel also completed cross examination from both investigation officers of the case, besides a Sub-Inspector during the hearing.
Subsequently, the court recorded statements of Abid Malhi and Shafqat Ali, prime accused and co-accused and adjourned further hearing till March 18. Besides seeking final arguments from parties, the court directed the defence counsel to present their witnesses on the next date of hearing, after being told that all prosecution evidence had been recorded. ATC Judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta conducted the case hearing at Camp Jail, wherein jail authorities produced the accused. Deputy Prosecutor General Hafiz Asghar and Deputy Prosecutor General Waqar Bhatti represented the prosecution whereas advocates Sher Gull Qureshi and Qasim Arain appeared on behalf of the accused.
It is pertinent to mention here that the court had recorded statements of 40 prosecution witnesses, including the victim woman, after the accused denied the charges on being indicted.
The Gujjarpura police had filed a challan against the accused, wherein they were declared guilty.
The police had requested the court for awarding strict punishment to the accused as sufficient evidence was available against them.
On September 9, accused Abid Malhi and Shafqat Ali allegedly raped a woman at gunpoint in Gujjarpura area,
while she was waiting for help on the Motorway after her car ran out of fuel.
An FIR of the incident was lodged with the Gujjarpura police under various sections of Pakistan Penal Code
and the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).