Judicial Performance Year: PHC, district judiciary decrease backlog of cases

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) and the district judiciary achieved targets by decreasing the backlog of cases in the province in the first Judicial Performance Year.

Sharing Judicial Performance Report (September 2018 to August 2019) with the media, PHC Registrar Khwaja Wajihuddin said that despite a shortage of judges, both the PHC and district judiciary performed well and decreased the pendency of cases up to some extent. Sharing the information of cases at the district level, he said that the total pendency has been reduced from 204,958 to 192, 066 cases in four quarters and backlog of 12892 cases were reduced at the district level.

He said the performance at district level was very encouraging at a time when former tribal areas were merged with KP and judicial cases were transferred to the regular judicial system. About the performance report of the PHC, he said that in the Judicial Performance Year 457,408 cases were instituted while a total of 458,546 cases were disposed of. However, he said currently 38,846 cases were pending at PHC’s principal bench and circuit benches.

Flanked by Member Inspection Team Muhammad Zubair and Legal Draftsman Sultan Ahmad Tareen, Khwaja Wajihuddin said that the provincial government failed to fill the 40 sanctioned posts of additional district and sessions judges. He added the PHC faced a shortage of 87 civil judges and the positions would be filled through the Public Service Commission.

Khwaja Wajihuddin said the PHC had sent a summary for the establishment of anti-terrorism courts to deal with terrorism-related cases but the provincial government returned it twice. He said the PHC had also sent summary for the establishment of 34 Child Protection Courts in the province, but the government refused it. However, he said after the success of first-ever provincial Child Protection Court, the PHC is going to inaugurate two more child protection courts today at Abbottabad and Mardan districts. About the performance of merged districts, he said until now the district judiciary in erstwhile Fata the regular courts had decided 2078 cases while 8084 including old FCR cases were pending before the courts. However, 5506 new cases were instituted in the regular courts in erstwhile Fata. About achievement of targets, he said consultations in term of workshops, meetings, and online video conferences were held with district judiciary. He said notifications were also issued to district courts in term of 6 percent or above disposals over the institutions and requested the provincial government for the creation of seats.

It said trainings were imparted to members of the bar and bench on case management rules. He said Data Analysis Wing had been created to assist in decision and policy-making.