KARACHI: Justice Sajjad Ali Shah of the Sindh High Court said on Saturday that steps were being taken to improve security at the subordinate judiciary and fill vacant posts.

He was speaking at the oath-taking ceremony of the Karachi Bar Association held on the premises of the City Courts.

Justice Shah administered the oath of office to the recently elected cabinet of the KBA.

JusticeShahfurthersaidthatkeeping the growing security concerns in view, identification units were being set up at the lower judiciary of the province to advance security system.

Around 110 closed-circuit television cameras were installed on the premises of the city courts and around 150 more would be put in place soon, he added.The senior puisne judge of the SHC said that 58 new courts were to be established, but since the city courts had alreadylackedspace,the proposals to build 15-storey judicial complex or to shift the courts to any other suitable place were under consideration and a final decision in this regard would be taken after consultation with representatives of the legal fraternity.

There was a shortage of 220 judicial officers, Justice Shah said and added that the new judges had recently been inducted and they would be posted in courts after the completion of their training.

Speaking on the occasion, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah was of the view that the country was facing the big challenge of terrorism since the then government had surrendered to the US af ter 9/11 terrorist attacl
The Sindh government also intensified vigilance at entry and exit points of the province and arrested many terrorists after influx of people following military operations, he claimed.

The chief minister said that the power of the provincial government to appoint judges of antiterrorism courts was taken away and asked the higher judiciary to consider lawyers during appointments of judges of the ATCs and tribunals. He announced a grant of Rs10 million for the Karachi bar.

KBA president Naeem Qureshi urged the authorities to centralise all subordinate courts at one place and highlighted other issues being faced by the legal fraternity.