ISLAMABAD: The law ministry Monday informed the Supreme Court that registrars of the high courts have been issued letters to nominate judges for their appointments to 30 new accountability courts being established across the country.
A report was submitted on behalf of the law secretary before a three-member bench of the top court headed by Justice Mushir Alam, in case related to the NAB. The court was informed that staff has been appointed for 30 new accountability courts after conducting interviews of some 40,000 applicants.
The court was further informed that letters have been dispatched to the registrars of the high courts for nominating judges for these new accountability courts being established countrywide.
Meanwhile, the court ordered that the letters written to the registrars of the high courts be placed on record and adjourned further hearing for date-in-office (indefinite period). Earlier, the court had summoned law secretary for submitting a report about the progress made in the instant matter.
It is pertinent to mention that in January, the federal government had informed a three-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Gulzar Ahmed that establishment of 30 additional accountability courts in the country would be notified shortly. The bench had heard a case of delayed trials by accountability courts as well as a suo motu review petition on a court order in cases of grant of bail to co-accused.
Additional Attorney General Sohail Mahmood had submitted a fresh report stating that the prime minister had approved the establishment of 120 additional accountability courts in phases.
The law officer submitted that in phase one, 30 additional accountability courts would be set up and for the purpose approval for expenses involved had already been taken up by the finance division.
Similarly, he had said the concurrences of the establishment division for the recruitment of staff for the courts have also been obtained and the posts of relevant staff would be advertised during the next week.
The court expected that the 30 additional accountability courts would be set up within a month and directed that the law secretary should submit a compliance report within a month. Last year in July, the Supreme Court had directed the law secretary to immediately seek instructions from the government on proposal of creating at least 120 accountability courts across the country and to fill up such courts with the judges and distribute all pending cases among them so that these cases are decided at fast pace and also in accordance with the time frame provided in the law.
The court had noted that the CMA filed by the NAB shows that the cases even of the years 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 onward are pending before the accountability courts and apparently there seems to be no valid justification as to why these cases are being allowed to remain pending as they have to be disposed of without any delay.
The court had further directed that the strength of the accountability courts all over the country should immediately be increased by the government in order to ensure that all the pending accountability cases come to the logical conclusion at a fast pace and at least within three month-time.