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Tuesday March 19, 2024

Each judge in province has 1,390 cases : Burden on KP judges exposes PTI promise

By Arshad Aziz Malik
January 23, 2018

PESHAWAR: The PTI government in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has failed to provide timely justice to the people. The claimants of providing speedy justice wasted about five years to amend the 109-year-old Civil Procedural Code. The PTI formed its government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in 2013 and approved an amendment to clear cases speedily in 2018. But the cases were delayed due to shortage of courts and judges. There are still 61 posts of judges lying vacant in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In 2017, there were 571,461 under-trial and new cases, while in the previous year, 365,187 cases were cleared.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the strength of district and additional district judges, senior civil judges and civil judges is 411. Every judge heard 1,390 cases. While working in 26 days a month, every judge has to hear 53 to 54 cases daily. While giving 10 minutes to each case, the judges have to work for 540 minutes without break. The annual vacation of judges are for 40 days.

Under the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation enforced in Malakand, it is mandatory to appoint one sessions judge for 150 cases and one civil judge for 200 cases. According to the documents obtained from the Peshawar High Court, in January 2018, the number of under-trail cases in civil and district courts was 205,181. According to the data collected at the district level, at the start of 2017, the total number of big and small cases in 2017 was 26,140. After filing of 64,231 cases, the number increased to 90,371. Of them, 60,560 cases were disposed of.

In district Nowshera, 11,492 cases are under trial. After filing of new cases, the numbers of cases increased to 27,877. Of them, 15,431 cases were cleared, whereas 11,713 cases are still under trial.

In district Charsadda, the number of under-trial cases was 8,321. As many as 23,523 new cases were filed. The number of total cases was 31,844. Hearing is still pending in 9,551 cases. In district Mardan, 16,843 cases were under trial. 39,569 new cases were filed. Their number increased to 56,412, while 35,349 cases were disposed of, whereas 20,519 cases are still under trial.

In district Swabi, the under-trial cases were 10,719, while 17,571 new cases were filed. The total number of cases was 28,294, while 17,597 cases were disposed of, whereas 11,111 cases are being heard.

In Malakand, the under-trial cases were 2,785. As many as 5,394 new cases were filed. The total number of cases is 8,179, while 5,102 cases were disposed of, whereas 3,064 cases are still being heard. In Swat, 9,108 cases were under trial, 17,701 new cases were filed and the total number increased to 26,809. As many as 17, 159 cases were disposed of, whereas 10,354 cases are still under trial. In Shangla, 1,432 cases are under trial, while 3,826 new cases were filed. The total number is 5,258 and 3,819 cases were disposed of, whereas 1,274 cases are still under trial.

In Dir Pine, 4,156 cases were under trial, while 7,558 new cases were filed. The total number was 11,714, while 6,964 cases were disposed of, whereas 4,533 cases are still under trial.

In Dir Bala, 3,391 cases were under trial, while 5,710 new cases were filed. The total number of cases was 9,101, while 5,256 cases were cleared, whereas 3,700 cases are still under trial. In Buner, 4,608 cases are under trial. 7,275 new cases were filed. The total number is 11,883, while 7,605 cases were disposed of, whereas 3,534 cases are still under trial. In Chitral, 3,597 cases are under trial. As many as 3,897 new cases were registered and 4,713 disposed of, while 2,609 are still pending.

In Dera Ismail Khan, 13,092 cases are pending, while 20,755 new ones have been registered, thus raising the total to 33,847. Meanwhile, 19,972 cases were disposed of, while 11,598 are still pending.

In Tank, the number of pending cases is 2,205, but the total reached 8,892 with an addition of 6,687. However, 5,504 cases were disposed of and 4,173 are still pending.

The number of pending cases in Bannu is 7,824 and 27,728 new cases were registered, making a total of 35,552. However, 26,376 were disposed of, meaning that another 8,331 are still pending.

Lakki Marwat has 4,395 pending cases, 13,759 new ones were registered raising the total to 18,154. However, 12,651 were disposed of and 4,982 are still pending.

In Kohat, the number of pending cases is 10,419 and another 17,418 have been added, after which the total jumped to 27,837. Meanwhile, 18,361 were disposed of and 9,372 are still pending.

In Hangu, 1,489 cases are pending and 6,465 have been added, raising the total to 7,954. However, 6,820 of these were disposed of and 1,262 are still pending.

Karak had 6,184 pending cases but the total reached 17,250 with an addition of 11,066 case. Of theses, 9,548 were disposed of, while 7,688 are still pending.

In Haripur, the total reached 30,036 after an addition of 18,277 to the 11,759 cases. The number of disposed of cases was 18,315 with 11,235 still pending cases.

The backlog in Abbottabad is 17,322 and the total reached 35,623 when another 18,301 cases were registered. The number of disposed of and pending cases is 18,111 and 18,147 respectively.

Mansehra has a backlog of 9,506 cases and 19,939 new ones were registered, making the total reach 28,445. However, 18,041 of these were disposed of and 10,543 are still pending.

In Battagram, the number of pending cases is 1,995 while 4,451 were added, making a total of 6,446. Of these, 4,692 were disposed of and 1,792 are still pending.

The backlog in Kohistan is 602 and the total reached 2,990 after another 2,388 were added. The number of pending cases is 615 as 2,335 of these were disposed of.

Torghar had 663 pending cases but the number climbed to 3,205 when 2,542 were added. However, 2,612 cases have been disposed of, meaning that 1,123 are still pending.

The data shows that the province has 25 posts of district and sessions judges, but three of these are lying vacant. In case of senior civil judges, four vacancies out of the total of 32 are vacant. Of the 307 sanctioned posts of civil judges, judicial magistrates, family judges, 54 are lying vacant. However, 108 additional district and sessions judges are working in the province against 103 posts.