Lower courts directed to decide pending cases by May 1

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Friday directed the lower courts across the province to decide all cases that have been pending since 2015 by May 1.

PHC Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim has directed all district and sessions judges to ensure that no delays occur in the process. The chief justice also stressed that detailed reports on the progress be submitted to the court on a daily basis.

The district and sessions judges across the province have also been instructed to prioritize these old cases, and send regular reports on the progress made in clearing the backlog.Last year, the Peshawar High Court had taken steps to address the issue by reducing judges’ vacations and assigning special benches to fast-track pending civil cases from 2015. These efforts had already resulted in a significant reduction in the number of cases pending in the system, with nearly 90percent of the backlog cleared.