Sindh announces establishment of special courts for street crime cases

In a bid to curb the growing street crimes and ensure swifter justice, the Sindh government has decided to establish special courts to speed up cases related to street crimes, particularly the ones which result in casualties or injuries.

The government has also decided to employ modern technology to swiftly dispose of street crime cases registered in the province.

The decision was made on Tuesday at a meeting chaired by Sindh Law and Environment Adviser Barrister Murtaza Wahab. The meeting was attended by the provincial government’s secretaries for law and home departments, the prosecutor general, the additional IG of Karachi and other officials.

In the meeting, it was discussed that Sindh would become the first province to establish special courts to deal with street crimes for which a legislation will be adopted.

In a video message issued after the meeting, the provincial law adviser said the law they would pass for the purpose would also propose a time frame for the special courts to complete the legal proceedings of a street crime case.

Undue delay in adjudication of cases had been a major problem in the existing legal system, he said. Barrister Wahab vowed to adopt a legal strategy which would ensure strict punishments to the criminals involved in street crimes.

He announced that the government would provide modern technology to special courts for speedy trials. At the meeting, the provincial law department was instructed to finalise the draft of the law which would envision the establishment of special courts, he added.

He said the whole system of the special courts would be made easy and effective for speedy trials of the cases. Barrister Wahab said street crimes had emerged as one of the biggest challenges which could only be handled with an effective strategy.

Speaking at the meeting, the Sindh law adviser also asked the relevant officials to adopt an effective strategy to curb street crimes and ensure justice for the victims.

In his opinion, weak prosecution and inadmissible evidences in such cases result in the release of suspects in courts. In this regard, he said, the prosecution service should be equipped with scientific approach and modern technology.

He added that the government had been trying its best to curb street crimes in the province. Chairing a meeting on November 5, Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had approved a plan to strengthen Madadgar 15 by enhancing its force and equipping the team with vehicles, latest gadgets and forensic labs so that prompt action could be ensured to curb street crime.

He had also decided to get summary trials of street criminals conducted, for which he constituted a committee under his law adviser, Murtaza Wahab, and IGP Dr Kaleem Imam to prepare recommendations for the cabinet.