LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday directed the Punjab chief secretary to decide within three months a matter regarding posts of deputy prosecutors in the province lying vacant for long.

Advocate Javed Imran Ranjha filed a writ petition pleading that 45 out of 68 sanctioned posts of deputy prosecutors had been lying vacant for over a year. He said progress in cases pending with the courts came to a standstill due to unavailability of the deputy prosecutors.

The lawyer asked the court to order the government to fill the vacancies of the deputy prosecutors without further delay.

Justice Shujaat Ali Khan disposed of the petition and directed the chief secretary to resolve the matter within three months.