ISLAMABAD:The Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice on Wednesday emphasized on improvement of infrastructure and provision of basic amenities in the building of Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) for smooth judicial operate.
The Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice met under the chairmanship of Senator Farooq H. Naek to review matters relating to judicial infrastructure, facilities for the legal fraternity, and the operational framework of the Constitutional Court.
At the outset, the Committee was informed that the Chairman of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) could not attend the meeting due to prior engagements. Deputy Chairman NAB Sohail Nasir conveyed the Chairman’s unavailability to the Committee.
The Federal Minister for Law and Justice was also unable to attend the meeting. The agenda item pertaining to NAB was deferred due to absence of Chairman NAB and Minister for Law & Justice.
The Committee undertook scrutiny of the budgetary proposals relating to the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) for the Financial Year 2026–27. The Secretary, Ministry of Law and Justice, briefed the Committee on various ongoing and proposed development projects under the programme. In particular, the Committee was apprised of the construction of a new High Court Bar Complex, which has been designed to provide modern facilities to the legal fraternity in order to support their professional needs.
Chairman Committee Senator Farooq H. Naek acknowledged the quality of facilities available in the newly constructed complex and observed that the cafeteria had been developed very well. However, he expressed serious concerns regarding the infrastructure and basic facilities of the Federal Constitutional Court, pointing out that the Court currently lacked essential amenities required for smooth judicial operations, including a canteen, bar room, and adequate washroom facilities.
Highlighting the importance of functional infrastructure, the Chairman Committee observed that while attention is often given to the aesthetic aspects of buildings, equal importance must be attached to operational facilities necessary for the effective functioning of judicial institutions. In this regard, he remarked that emphasis should not merely be placed on constructing attractive buildings or installing limited infrastructure such as a single lift, but rather on ensuring the availability of adequate operational facilities.
Senator Farooq H. Naek also drew attention to maintenance issues in the Islamabad High Court building and observed that although two lifts had been installed in the new building, one of them was currently non-functional. Secretary, Ministry of Law and Justice informed that once building is complete the administrative control is handed over to the respective court administration.
Senator Kamran Murtaza also highlighted dilapidated condition, especially of bathrooms, in the Federal Service Tribunal. Secretary, Ministry of Law & Justice assured that matter will be taken up with the Registrar FST.
The Committee also acknowledged various archiving and digitization initiatives being undertaken by the Ministry of Law and Justice, particularly the Pakistan Code and the DRIS website, which serve as repositories of authenticated and updated laws and amendments.
The meeting was attended by Senator Shahadat Awan, Senator Kamran Murtaza, and Senator Mohammad Abdul Qadir.