RAWALPINDI: Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court (LHC), Miss Alia Neelam, has introduced a video link facility in Punjab’s district courts and ex-cadre courts to modernise judicial proceedings across Punjab, including Rawalpindi, and ensure the timely delivery of justice.
Parties or lawyers with pending cases may apply to use the video link facility by completing a form, in accordance with instructions issued by the Lahore High Court.
Any lawyer or individual may avail themselves of the facility to present arguments before the court by following the High Court’s Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
The application form for the video link facility is available on the District Judiciary website: https://dsj.punjab.gov.pk. The application form must be submitted to the relevant court forum on Fridays or Saturdays within a seven-day window.
The facility is designed for individuals outside the court’s jurisdiction or those unable to attend due to illness, disability, distance, travel, security concerns, or other compelling reasons; it is, however, unavailable to proclaimed offenders.
Upon application approval, a hearing will be scheduled and communicated to all parties via a “video link tag” on the case list.
Involved parties must ensure the petitioner or witness is present at the designated location one hour before the hearing with their original National Identity Card or Passport to complete all necessary verification, including biometric checks, and prevent forgery.
For disabled prisoners, the local court will appoint an official to conduct biometric and other verification, with the petitioner bearing the travel expenses. Similarly, overseas witnesses must contact the nearest Pakistani mission to participate via video link, where a designated officer will secure the testimony; no assistance is permitted during the recording of evidence.
Overseas witness statements will be recorded during Pakistani court hours under The Oath Act, 1873. Furthermore, only the court is authorised to record the proceedings; all other recording devices are strictly prohibited. The requesting party bears all costs, including providing a 125 GB to 500 GB USB or external hard drive for the court to permanently preserve the password-protected, sealed recording as part of the case file.
