PHC CJ stresses timely dispensation of justice

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) Chief Justice Mohammad Ibrahim Khan on Thursday asked all stakeholders to make concerted efforts for ensuring timely and effective dispensation of justice.

He said this while chairing the 12th Provincial Justice Committee meeting. KP advocate general, the PHC registrar, the inspector general of police (IGP), additional chief secretary, joint secretary of Law and Justice Commission and other officials attended the meeting, said a press release.

After receiving an update from the additional chief secretary, Home, IGP and secretary, Finance, on progress on the projects of establishment of the Forensic Science Laboratory, Observation Homes and Juvenile Rehabilitation Centers and Integration of Software of the Justice System components, the chief justice wanted a prompt follow-up for the timely completion of the schemes.

The directives by the NJPMC about expeditious disposal of cases of Under Trial Prisoners (UTP) came up for a discussion.The chief justice directed the prosecution to produce the police witnesses before trial courts without any delay.

He urged the AG and ACS-Home to actively pursue the matter of a simplified mechanism of inter-provincial transfer of accused, with the Ministry of Interior to expedite the UTP cases to alleviate their sufferings. The ACS- Home assured the chair that issues of concern, if any, shall be resolved shortly.

Expressing concern over the delay in acquisition of land and release of funds for judicial complexes in merged districts, the chief justice asked the Senior Member Board of Revenue to resolve all the administrative issues within one month to ensure the release of funds by the Finance Department for early construction of complexes.

As far as shifting of courts to merged districts, the chief justice directed the officials to take immediate measures for transfer of courts, where pending, to respective territorial jurisdictions to make justice easily accessible to the local for their inclusion in the mainstream, which was the objective of merger of the erstwhile Fata.

The misuse of seized vehicle/case property received a critical consideration and the chief justice directed the relevant quarters to share all such data with the district and sessions judges concerned for a prompt disposal of the cases and consequent open auction of the relevant confiscated case properties in accordance with law.