PHC CJ stresses efforts to ensure speedy justice

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim on Monday called for collective efforts to provide speedy and affordable justice to litigants and urged the young lawyers to work with honesty and dedication.

Speaking at a ceremony organized by the District Bar Association Peshawar, he said that hard work always paid off and those entering the legal profession must be prepared to face initial hardships, as he did in the early years of his career.

Senior PHC judge Justice Ijaz Anwar, PHC registrar, District and Sessions Judge Inamullah Wazir, Vice Chairman of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council Sadiq Ali Mohmand, Chairman of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council’s Executive Committee Syed Taimur Ali Shah, District Bar Association Peshawar President Amjad Ali Marwat, General Secretary Izharullah Advocate and lawyers attended the event.

The chief justice talked about the judiciary’s progress in reducing the backlog of cases in the province.“When I took the oath as Chief Justice, there were 2,76,000 pending cases across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Through collaborative efforts with my fellow judges, we have brought this number down to 262,000,” he said, adding that significant progress had been made.

He expressed concern over the lengthy delays in civil cases, some of which have remained unresolved for up to 30 years. The chief justice noted that this discouraged people from bringing civil disputes to court and underscored the need for reforms to expedite these cases.

He inaugurated several facilities, including a newly constructed shed for lawyers. He also inspected the work on the under-construction building of a family court, and the Case Flow Management Information System portal designed to streamline court operations.

The chief justice announced that seating arrangements and clean drinking water facilities for litigants would be prioritized in future projects.Reflecting on his early days in the legal profession, Justice Ibrahim recalled the challenges he faced, including inadequate seating and basic amenities for lawyers.

“Young lawyers today are fortunate to have access to modern facilities. When I and Justice Ijaz Anwar started our careers, we didn’t even have proper chairs to sit on,” he remarked, encouraging the new generation of lawyers to focus on their goals with perseverance. To the request for a water filtration system at the judicial complex, the chief justice announced that work on the project would begin within 10 days.