Lack of precautionary measures at ATCs exposes staff, lawyers to coronavirus.

Byline: Naeem Sahoutara

KARACHI -- The judicial officers, staffers and lawyers at the anti-terrorism courts are exposed to risks of getting infected with Covid-19 owing to lack of precautionary measures there.

The judicial staffers and lawyers said that around four people had so far tested positive for the coronavirus.

The latest case is of a 38-year-old staffer of the ATC-XIII, whose test was found positive for the deadly virus, said judicial staffers.

Therefore, the judge of the relevant court had asked the health authorities to ensure tests were conducted of other staffers who remained in close contact with the infected person. 'Their test results are awaited,' a staffer told Dawn on Saturday.The judicial staff and state prosecutors of the ATCs - 18 operating in the judicial complex inside the central prison and two in Clifton - complained that no preventive measures or facilities had been provided to them by the government despite the number of infected staffers was increasing.

Recently, another judicial staffer, posted at the ATC-XIV, had also tested positive for the coronavirus.

Four persons have already tested positive for Covid-19

The judge of the relevant court had also asked the medical superintendent of the Services Hospital Karachi to ensure tests of other court staffers were conducted. Their tests results were awaited.

Earlier, a policeman on security duty at the ATCs was also reportedly found positive for the coronavirus.

'There are no sanitisers, face masks or thermal body temperature testing machines at both venues of the courts,' the staffer said.

He said the judges had instructed everyone entering the courtrooms - including staffers...