Peshawar – Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, alongside other judges and members of the Administration Committee, chaired a critical meeting on Case Management Policy with the District & Sessions Judges of Kohat, Hangu, and Orakzai on Saturday. The session aimed to address the backlog of cases and enhance the efficiency of the judiciary in these districts.
The meeting, held at the Peshawar High Court, saw participation from judicial officers of the three districts, members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council, the President of the Peshawar High Court Bar Association, as well as the Presidents and General Secretaries of the District and Tehsil Bar Associations.
Ikhtiar Khan, Registrar of the Peshawar High Court, opened the meeting by outlining the agenda and welcoming participants. Mamrez Khan Khalil, Additional Registrar (Administration), emphasized the Chief Justice’s vision to address the case backlog and ensure impartial and effective justice. He highlighted the importance of understanding the dynamics of the District Judiciary to create a robust Case Management Policy. District & Sessions Judge Kohat, Ms. Sofia Waqar Khattak, presented data showing 11,284 pending cases as of June 30, 2024, with a disposal ratio of 123.81%. She noted a significant reduction in pending cases from April to June 2024, with a focus on Under Trial Prisoners (UTP) and Family Court cases, and emphasized cooperation with the Bar for this purpose.
District & Sessions Judge Orakzai, Syed Obaidullah Shah, reported 435 pending cases as of July 24, 2024, including 18 juvenile and 2 gender-based violence cases. He mentioned that the majority of UTP cases are recent, with only four cases older than one year. In Hangu, District & Sessions Judge Hayat Gul reported a total of 1,563 cases pending as of June 2024, including 50 UTP cases, 32 juvenile cases, and 91 family cases.
The meeting also solicited suggestions from Bar members, including a unanimous call for the establishment of a Circuit Court. The need for refresher courses and training in ethics, morality, and professionalism was discussed. The Chief Justice directed that such training be arranged at the district level by the District & Sessions Judges, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Bar Council, and District Bar Associations.
Justice Ijaz Anwar, in his concluding remarks, stressed the importance of eradicating corruption and malpractices within the judiciary. Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim assured full cooperation of the Peshawar High Court to the District Judiciary and Bar members and emphasized that regular meetings like these are vital for effective case management and justice dispensation.
