Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Pakistan, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has called for record of pending cases in courts and appropriate action plan from Chief Justices of High Courts to frame strategy for quick dispensation of justice and erosion of corruption from the courts.
The Chief Justice being Chairman of National Judicial Policy Making Committee (NJPMC) has called a meeting of the committee on April 18 to frame a strategy for clearance of backlog and disposal of pending civil/criminal cases in high courts, subordinate courts and special courts.
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has directed the Chief Justices of High Courts, to arrange meeting with the respective districts and session judges, judges of special courts ie anti terrorism courts, drug courts, etc, IG Police and IG Prisons in their chambers before attending the said NJPMC meeting.
The meeting will be attended by Justice Haziqul Khairi, Chief Justice, Federal Shariat Court, Justice Tariq Pervez, Chief Justice, Peshawar High Court, Justice Amanullah Khan, Chief Justice, High Court of Balochistan, Quetta, Justice Sayed Zahid Hussain, Chief Justice, Lahore High Court, Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali, Chief Justice, High Court of Sindh, Karachi and Dr Faqir Hussain, Secretary, Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan/NJPMC.
Besides, the Chairman has also desired that the Chief Justices may prepare an appropriate action plan the eroding corruption and inefficiency amongst judicial officer/court staff. The Chief Justice and Chairman NJPMC has asked the High Courts to furnish the list of cases pending in the High Courts showing date of institutions, average period of cases for fixation of Kachi Peshi and regular hearing.
Similarly they have to furnish district-wise list of pending cases before subordinate courts indicating the date of institutions of each case, duration of cases pending and reasons for delays, particularly the cases relating to family matters including cases of custody of children, rent matters, civil matters in which stay orders were issued but confirmation thereof is still pending, all civil/criminal cases which are pending for the last more than one year.
The Chairman NJPMC desired that the Chief Justices of High Courts may issue direction to the district and session judges to visit jail in their respective districts and submit a report about the prisons condition, hear their grievances and grant relief to those involved in minor criminal offences or bailable offences.