ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) onThursdayorderedthesecretary Ministry of Interior, the capital police and the accountability court administration to ensure access of lawyers and litigants to the court during the hearing of high-profile cases.

Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb issued the direction while hearing a petition filed by Shaista Tabbasum Sultanpuri against restricting the access of lawyers, litigants and mediapersons during the trial of references against former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, his children, a son-in-law and Finance Minister Ishaq Dar.

Justice Aurangzeb observed that denying access to courts was unconstitutional as these were meant to administer justice to the citizens.

On October 2, Rangers took over the security of the Federal Judicial Complex (FJC) in G-11/4 without any formal requisition by the district administration and turned the building into a no-go area.

The FJC houses 13 courts, offices of the Islamabad Bar Council, Federal Insurance Ombudsman and other tribunals. In addition to banning the entry of lawyers, litigants and mediapersons the Rangers also did not even permit employees of the courts and ofñces to enter the building. Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal was also denied entry to the court.

However, on October 4, police and the registrar of the accountability court allowed a limited number of mediapersons to witness the proceedings while the litigants had to wait outside till the departure of Mr Dar.

The petitioner adopted before Justice Aurangzeb that courts were public places where litigants approached to seek justice.

She argued that barring litigants and lawyers from entering courts was tantamount to breaching their constitutional rights.

The petition cited the secretary interior, director general Punjab Rangers, the registrar of the accountability court, the inspector general of the capital police and officials of the local administration as respondents. Malik Asad