LAHORE: Seven out of the 14 prosecutors of anti-terrorism courts in Punjab and their two more key provincial level colleagues are among the nearly 30 prosecutors who have passed written test for the posts of additional sessions judge.

Up to 300 prosecutors have already joined the subordinate judiciary, apparently for a lack of career prospect and pecuniary beneñts in the prosecution department.

If selected, it is believed, that prosecutors are likely to join the new posts.

The prosecution department has failed to convince the Enance department to approve a plan to enhance its vital staff`s allowances.

It itself has not found any way toprovide a promotion ladder to the prosecutors.

According to sources, the most affected side after the selection of the prosecutors will be persecution in anti-terrorism courts.

Two each qualifying prosecutors are deputed in Lahore and Gujranwala, and one each in Rawalpindi and Bahawalpur. One prosecutorisservingattheRawalpindi drug court. One prosecutor is pleading the case of the murder of lawyers allegedly by a police official in Daska in a Gujranwala anti-terrorism court.

The prosecution department`s directorofappeals and a provincial level law officer are among those who have passed the written test.

A majority of the qualifying prosecutors are in BS-18 and if they continue with the prosecution department, they are to retire from servicein BS-19 as their promotion ladder ends here. In contrast, they will get a BS-20 as additional sessions judges. The next step is district and sessions judge (BS-21) which follows elevation to the high court. Even those not elevated to the high court will retire as sessions judges in BS-22.

There are 950 prosecutors of different categories in the department against 1,250 seats. The seat strength was calculated in 2006.

Ofhcials say the provincial government is losing vital human resource developed over the years for a few million rupees. `The department continues to have more prosecutors recruited through the Punjab Public Service Commission.

But we are losing much more than we are gaining. We are losing experienced and time-tested peopleurgently required for the effective enforcement of the National Action Plan. And it will take time to fill their gap with new recruitment,` an official remarked.

Sources said that the matter of lack of promotion prospects and low emoluments was perennial. The department had initiated a summary for the revision of the allowances of the prosecutors in July last year. The finance department returned it with objections the next month. After more rounds of objections and clarifications, the summary was sent to the chief minister who also returned it with the advice of a broader view of the issue by a cabinet committee.

The cabinet committee did take a broader view but the proposal is still shuttling between the finance and the prosecution departments.