LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: The Punjab government has moved to revamp its judicial approach to drug-related offenses by proposing a bill in the Punjab Assembly aimed at reconstituting drug courts and establishing a specialized tribunal to handle such cases more effectively.
Under the proposed legislation, the new tribunal will comprise one session judge and two experts with a minimum of 15 years of experience in relevant fields. The Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court will appoint the judge for a three-year term, while the Punjab government will nominate the two experts for the same duration. Importantly, all three members must participate in delivering final verdicts.
This structural change is intended to give the drug courts greater autonomy, aligning their function with that of other specialized courts such as environmental and labor courts.
The tribunal will be responsible for addressing cases involving drug trafficking and substandard or counterfeit medicines, with a focus on efficient and informed adjudication through expert input.
The bill has been forwarded to the relevant standing committee of the Punjab Assembly, which is expected to deliver its report within two months. Once the report is submitted and approved, the court will begin its operations.
Following the bill’s passage, the judge will be appointed first, followed by the selection of experts, after which the tribunal will become fully operational.
This move reflects the province’s commitment to strengthening the legal framework against drug-related crimes and improving the quality of justice through a specialized and collaborative tribunal model.
