Daily Times

In an unprecedented move, the Lahore High Court (LHC), under the direction of Chief Justice Aalia Neelum, has conducted a comprehensive physical audit of pending cases, both in the High Court and in district courts across Punjab. According to an interim report, over 103000 cases are currently pending in the LHC, with 65,975 of these at the court’s principal seat. These include 11,836 civil cases, 25,312 criminal cases, 26,175 writ petitions, and 2,652 commercial and tax cases. In addition, the LHC benches in Bahawalpur, Multan, and Rawalpindi report pendency figures of 9,703, 22,675, and 5,343 cases, respectively. The report also revealed a backlog of more than 1.4 million cases in district courts throughout Punjab, comprising approximately 1.19 million civil cases and 217,000 sessions cases. In response to these figures, the Administration Committee, chaired by Chief Justice Aalia Neelum, is scheduled to meet soon to finalize a comprehensive plan aimed at the swift disposal of these cases. The initiative will focus on reducing the backlog and ensuring timely justice for litigants. It is pertinent to mention here that such an extensive audit has been carried out in the court’s history for the first time.