Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Owing to lengthy proceedings in high profile cases of public importance during the outgoing year, the backlog of cases swelled to 38,350 in the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Over 7,350 new cases were added to the backlog during year 2017. The Panama Papers case, which led to the disqualification of Nawaz Sharif as prime minister of Pakistan, alone took months to reach its conclusion. Likewise, another petition filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hanif Abbasi seeking disqualification of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and secretary general Jahangir Tareen took almost a year to reach conclusion. According to the available statistics, about 31,000 cases were pending adjudication before the apex court in January 2017. However, the pendency of cases has now increased to 38, 350. About 23,600 cases were instituted in 2017, out of which 16,600 cases were disposed of. In December 2016, about 31,000 cases were pending before the apex court. In 2011, there was a backlog of 19,000 cases before the top court, which has doubled in year 2017. Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar has constituted only one bench at the Supreme Court’s principal seat in Islamabad to hear cases during the week commencing from today (Tuesday). A two-member Supreme Court bench comprising Justice Dost Muhammad Khan and Justice Qazi Faez Isa will hear dozens of cases during the week.

A two-member bench comprising CJP Mian Saqib Nisar and Justice Ijazul Ahsan will hear cases at Supreme Court’s Lahore registry during the week. According to the weekly cause-list, no application for adjournment through fax or email will be placed before the court and if any counsel is unable to appear for any reason, the advocate-on-record (AOR) will be required to argue the case. Besides, no adjournment on any ground will be granted.

Published in Daily Times, December 26^th 2017.