Daily Times

Justice Mohammad Ibrahim Khan, the Chief Justice, Peshawar High Court, (PHC), chaired the 12th Provincial Justice Committee (PJC) meeting at the PJC Secretariat, PHC here on Thursday.

Among others, the meeting was attended by the Advocate General, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Registrar-PHC, the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Additional Chief Secretary (ACS), P & D, ACS-Home, Senior Member Board of Revenue (SMBR), Secretaries, Finance, Administration, Excise & Taxation, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Departments and Joint Secretary Law and Justice Commission.

At the outset, the Chief Justice remarked that the litigant public was the prime focus of the justice system, and it was thus imperative for all the stakeholders to make concerted efforts to minimize their plight associated with protracted litigation, through timely and effective dispensation of justice.

After an update by the ACS, Home, IGP and Secretary, Finance, regarding progress on projects of establishment of the Forensic Science Laboratory, Observation Homes and Juvenile Rehabilitation Centers and Integration of Software of the Justice System components, the Chief Justice desired prompt follow up for timely completion of the projects.

The directives issued by the NJPMC about expeditious disposal of cases of Under Trial Prisoners (UTP) came up for discussion. While directing the Prosecution to produce the police witnesses before trial courts without delay, the Chief Justice also urged the AG and ACS-Home, to actively pursue the matter simplified mechanism of inter-provincial transfer of accused, with the Ministry of Interior in order to expedite the UTP cases to alleviate their sufferings. Likewise, the jail issues were thoroughly discussed. The ACS, Home assured the Chair that issues of concern, wherever exist, shall be resolved shortly.

Showing serious concern over the delay in acquisition of land and release of funds for Judicial Complexes in Newly Merged Districts (NMDs), the Chief Justice desired the SMBR to resolve all the administrative issues within one month to entail release of funds by the Finance Department for early construction of complexes.

Regarding the issue of security, particularly in NMDs, the IGP informed that adequate security has been provided generally throughout the province. As far as shifting of courts in NMDs, the Chief Justice directed to take immediate measures for transfer of Courts, where pending, to their respective territorial jurisdictions in order to make justice easily accessible to the local at their doorsteps for their inclusion in the mainstream, which was the objective of merger of the erstwhile FATA.

The misuse of seized vehicles and case property received a critical consideration and the Chief Justice directed the relevant quarters to share all such data with the District & Sessions Judges concerned for prompt disposal of the cases and consequent open auction of the relevant confiscated case properties in accordance with law.

The meeting ended with a mutual vote of thanks for occasioning useful interaction by the participants to advance the cause of justice in the province.