NJPMC resolves to show zero tolerance against corruption

The National Judicial Planning and Management Committee (NJPMC) held here on Saturday under the chair of Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Gulzar Ahmed resolved that there will be zero tolerance against corruption. The committee also briefed him about the performance of cells established in the high courts for eradication of corruption. The committee directed its secretary to collect district-wise data from police and judiciary regarding juveniles who were kept in police lockup, handcuffed and produced in courts along with adult offenders/accused in violation of Juvenile Justice System Act, 2018.

The committee also directed the secretary to make arrangements for putting in place "Case Follow Management Systems" in all the administrative tribunals and special courts. It also decided that adjudication of old appeals and writ petitions may be prioritised.

The committee approved recommendation of National Judicial Automation Committee (NJAC) regarding establishment of core team of National Judicial Automation Unit (NJAU) at the old building of Federal Judicial Academy. The committee was also informed that the NJAU would develop central and provincial dash-boards for monitoring of cases.

During the meeting, the CJP remarked that a recent judgment by the SC regarding gender based violence/juvenile justice cases should be disseminated to judicial officers entrusted with GBV and juvenile justice and child-related cases.

The committee expressed concern over backlog of cases in all cadre of judiciary and resolved to fill all vacant posts in the judiciary within six months.

The committee noted that vacancies in administrative tribunals and special courts working under federal and provincial jurisdictions and remarked that there was a huge number of pendency of revenue, banking and commercial cases which may affect public revenues and the economy.

Federal Shariat Court Chief Justice Muhammad Noor Meskanzai, Sindh High Court Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M. Shaikh, Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth, Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar Minallah, Balochistan High Court Chief Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail and Lahore High Court Chief Justice Mamoon Rashid Sheikh attended the meeting. The CJP remarked that the NJPMC had done substantial work under its mandate in order to provide speedy and expeditious justice.