LAHORE - An anti-drug court judge has pleaded the high-ups to provide him and his family foolproof security over a threatening letter allegedly sent by a banned outfit of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan.
Ch Muhammad Jahangir, Drug Court Chairman, Wednesday wrote a letter to additional Inspector General of Police and Lahore High Court authorities stating that he received a letter from the Taliban in which he and his family members were threatened.  He said police constables deployed at the court (Birdwood Road, Shadman) and his residences were withdrawn about three months ago and the authorities concerned did not give him any reason.
The letter written to the LHC said: “The position of the Drug Court is highly sensitive in nature and security of the court is necessarily required as well as for the residence of undersigned.” The judge wrote a letter to the Capital City Police Officer also for the provision of security with deployment of reasonable police force for Drug Court and residence immediately.  
Moreover, Drug court is functioning on a rented house without proper infrastructure, thanks to authorities concerned for drugs regulation. Situated at a road-corner in Shadman, the one-judge and one-room court looks after the cases of eleven districts – Lahore, Gujranwala, Gujrat, Sialkot, Mandi Bahauddin, Narowal, Kasur, Okara, Sheikhupura, Nankana and Hafizabad. Ch Muhammad Jahangir has been serving as its chairman under such pathetic conditions like rundown building – one court room and one retiring room with an open window – is enough to explode the security cover.
In all weathers, the court lacks backup during loadshedding while no sitting arrangements rub salt into litigants’ wounds. Beside it, the deputy district public prosecutors (DDPPs) and bar members do not find place to sit and wait their cases hours long.
A judicial lockup is considered as an integral part of any court but unfortunately this is not available for the accused of this court.  
An official said on anonymity that maintaining court records was also a ‘big’ challenge because no permanent place was allocated for the court and usual shifting may cause loss of any important file.