Category: 1. Pakistan

ISLAMABAD:

The National Judicial Policy-Making Committee (NJPMC) has approved uniform timelines for the disposal of various categories of civil and criminal cases under a new regime aimed at ensuring speedy justice and reducing case backlogs.

The 54th meeting of the NJPMC—convened on Monday at the Supreme Court of Pakistan under the chairmanship of Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi—deliberated on key policy issues, while reviewing implementation status of the decisions taken in its 53rd meeting.

The meeting was attended by the chief justices of all the high courts, while Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan attended on special invitation.

According to a detailed press release issued after the meeting, the committee, while acknowledging “the commendable efforts” made by the high courts, laid down specific deadlines for case disposal, ranging from two months to two years depending on the nature of the dispute.

The forum also endorsed the introduction of a double-docket court regime to expedite hearings and strengthen judicial efficiency.

According to the prescribed timelines declaratory suits relating to land disputes are to be decided within 24 months, while inheritance disputes must be resolved in 12 months. Injunction suits on land disputes should conclude within six months.

Recovery suits dealing with public revenue or money matters must be finalized in 12 months, whereas specific performance suits (contract enforcement) should be disposed of within 18 months.

Rent cases are required to be completed in six months while family suits—including matters of dissolution, dower, maintenance, and guardianship—must also be decided in six months. Succession cases (uncontested) are to be wrapped up within two months.

The committee further prescribed timelines for the disposal of execution petitions. It decided that family court decrees will be decided in six months; banking court decrees in 12 months; civil court decrees in 12 months while rent matters will be decided in three months.

On the criminal side, cases involving juvenile offenders under the Juvenile Justice System Act, 2018 will be decided in six months; trials carrying punishment of up to seven years will be concluded in 12 months while trials carrying punishment of more than seven years will be wrapped up in 18 months.

The NJPMC has given 24 months—two years—to trial courts to decide murder trials.

“These timelines would be considered as one of the Key Performance Indicators in Judges Performance Evaluation and would be in-built at the dashboard,” the statement added.

By setting these uniform deadlines, the NJMPC aims to bring consistency to the judicial process and address long-standing concerns over delays in case disposal. Officials said the move reflects the judiciary’s commitment to strengthening the rule of law and enhancing public trust in the justice system.

The NJPMC also unanimously reiterated the need for a comprehensive mechanism for ensuring production of any detained person before the magistrate within 24 hours in order to curb instances of enforced disappearances.

The committee unanimously reiterated its resolve to strengthen institutional capacity, accelerate access to justice, and ensure efficient and effective justice delivery.

It also emphasized the need for a comprehensive mechanism for ensuring production of detained persons before a magistrate within 24 hours. The AGP assured that such a mechanism would be developed and placed before the committee in its next meeting.

The committee also commended the high courts for formulating standard operating procedures (SOPs) to safeguard judicial independence but emphasized the inclusion of stage-wise timelines from complaint filing to final action.

It was decided that all such instances of extraneous influence shall be reported within 24 hours and action thereon shall be finalised within 14 days. The SOPs should also provide for immediate redressal measures to safeguard the dignity of the complainant judge.

Additionally, a reporting mechanism to the CJP was desired for information and intervention, where necessary. The high courts shall notify the SOPs and share the same with the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP).

The committee appreciated the substantial progress achieved by the high courts in strengthening the commercial litigation framework, acknowledging the CLC initiative as a major step toward fostering a robust and efficient commercial litigation framework.

To address the problem of protracted litigation and injunctive orders in commercial, revenue, and fiscal cases, a committee was formed to draft recommendations.

The committee led by Supreme Court judge Shafi Siddiqui, includes Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh of the Lahore High Court, Justice Agha Faisal, of the Sindh High Court, Justice Arshad Ali of the Peshawar High Court, the AGP and the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) chairman.

“The committee shall also examine the suggestion of the AGP in respect of issues arising out of Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards and place its recommendations in the next meeting,” the statement said.

The NJPMC expressed its appreciation for the progress made by the SHC and the PHC in establishing model criminal trial courts. It noted that these efforts would significantly contribute to enhancing access to justice and ensure its effective and timely delivery.

It was further observed that such initiatives reflect strong institutional commitment to continuous improvement for making the justice system citizen-centric.

The forum, while appreciating the efforts made by the LHC in establishing model civil courts, decided that the high courts may pilot the initiative for oldest civil cases in chronological order.

“The high courts may determine the number of model civil courts in each district keeping in view the number of target cases. The district and session judges may assign such cases to model civil courts under a time bound trial regime,” it added.

The committee also deliberated on jail reforms and resolved to share the reports of Provincial Sub-Committees and the Prison Reform Action Plan with the high courts for input. A National Prison Policy will be formulated and placed before the next meeting.

ISLAMABAD:

As the heads of all superior courts have agreed to evolve a mechanism to end external interference, debate has begun on how effective the high court SOPs will be in curbing extraneous influence without adjudicating the 26th Constitutional Amendment, which, by admission, increased the executive’s influence in judicial appointments and the selection of constitutional benches (CBs).

The National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee (NJPMC), comprising all chief justices, on Monday commended the high courts for formulating SOPs—Standard Operating Procedures—for judicial independence. The SOPs are expected to be notified soon.

Lawyers are questioning how external interference can end when NJPMC members themselves are beneficiaries of executive influence in the judiciary.

There is a strong perception that, without executive support, neither a lawyer can be appointed as a judge nor can a superior court judge be elevated to the apex court or a constitutional bench after the 26th Constitutional Amendment.

“There is an English idiom that fits here perfectly. It is when you close the stable door after the horse has bolted. Except here, the horse hasn’t just bolted; the stable roof has also collapsed.

“Although I’m glad Justice Dogar of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) was present in the meeting which decided once and for all to end the menace of external interference,” said Abdul Moiz Jaferii Advocate, while commenting on the NJPMC meeting to safeguard judges from outside pressure.

Another lawyer asked how independence can be secured when judges not in the good books of the executive have been sidelined and excluded from benches hearing important cases.

Former additional attorney general Waqar Rana said interference is just one manifestation of undermining judicial independence.

“Where appointments are subservient to the executive after the 26th Amendment, the policy notification issued by the Supreme Court may unfortunately look like a charade to the legal community.

“The chief justice, in order to truly ensure independence of the judiciary and stop interference, must take the first overdue courageous step and list the case of the 26th Amendment before the full court. Anything else will be viewed as window dressing,” he added.

Taking advantage of the delay in adjudicating petitions against the 26th Amendment, executive authorities have successfully inducted more than three dozen judges in the high courts.

There is also a perception that court-packing of the high courts has already taken place. The situation has also changed in the apex court after the amendment.

Likewise, the executive initiated the transfer of judges from different high courts to the IHC. The real purpose of those transfers, critics say, was to prevent a senior judge from becoming IHC chief justice.

Although CJP Yahya Afridi had reservations about the seniority of the transferred judges, the executive managed to appoint Justice Sardar Muhammad Sarfraz Dogar as IHC CJ.

Despite his efforts, CJP Afridi could not secure approval from the Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) for the appointment of Justice Miangul Hassan as the IHC chief justice.

Similarly, government authorities opposed the appointment of the senior-most judges of the Peshawar High Court and the Balochistan High Court as chief justices because they were not “like-minded.”

The government thus succeeded, and the senior-most judges of both high courts were superseded by the JCP without valid reason.

Senior judges, including CJP Afridi, supported elevating Lahore High Court Chief Justice Aalia Neelum to the apex court. However, the government wanted her to continue as LHC CJ. The executive representatives in the JCP did not vote for her elevation.

Incumbent Sindh High Court Chief Justice Junaid Ghaffar has also not been selected for the CB in the high court because the executive representatives in the JCP did not vote for him.

Most significantly, the executive ignored the two senior-most judges of the apex court for the appointment of the CJP because they were not aligned with the present regime.

Interestingly, the NJPMC has approved a committee comprising judges, the attorney general for Pakistan, and the FBR chairman to address protracted litigation and injunctive orders in commercial, revenue, and fiscal cases.

Questions are being raised about the inclusion of the FBR chairman in the committee. Recently, CJP Afridi met with the finance minister to discuss tax-related reforms.

It is an open secret that the superior judiciary has failed to deal with external interference since six IHC judges wrote to the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) last year. Since their letter, the judges have faced different forms of harassment, with proxy complaints filed against them in the SJC.

A senior lawyer said the surrender in the six judges’ letter case laid the foundation, and the 26th Constitutional Amendment was a mere formality. When Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan was LHC CJ, he sent a report to the SC regarding harassment of an ATC judge. The matter is still pending in the SC.

There is a need to assess the performance of the judiciary in the aftermath of the 26th Amendment. Debate continues about the performance of the CBs.

ISLAMABAD:

Authorities have decided to launch an immediate crackdown against illegal foreigners in the federal capital and four adjoining districts — Rawalpindi, Attock, Murree and Haripur — as part of a plan to declare them “safe zones.”

Under the plan, data of illegal residents will be compiled, their access to mobile SIMs blocked, and the issuance of stamp papers for property transactions or other financial dealings prohibited. Deputy commissioners and district police chiefs of all five districts have been directed to submit weekly progress reports.

The decision was taken during a high-level meeting of the special task force, chaired by CDA chairman and Islamabad Chief Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa at CDA headquarters.

Senior officials from the interior ministry, National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD), Afghan Commissionerate, and district administrations of the five districts attended.

The meeting resolved to take strict and immediate action against foreigners residing without valid visas. A centralised database will be developed containing details such as identities, residential addresses, and other relevant information to prevent their re-settlement in the future.

Randhawa instructed officials to strengthen coordination and data-sharing with FIA, Nadra, and other agencies. He further directed strict enforcement of tenancy laws, with action against unregistered foreign tenants living in houses or hotels. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has also been told not to issue SIMs to foreigners without valid visas.

It was agreed that illegal foreigners would also be barred from property transactions through stamp papers. Randhawa stressed that the government is determined to ensure security and stability by enforcing the law against illegal migrants, with all agencies working together for a permanent solution.

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ISLAMABAD, Aug 18 (APP):A three-day international symposium on “Radiation Techniques in Health and Environment” began at the Pakistan Academy of Sciences (PAS) on Monday.

The event is jointly organized by the Pakistan Academy of Sciences (PAS), the Association of Academies and Societies of Sciences in Asia (AASSA), and the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP).

Bringing together leading scientists, medical experts, and policymakers from Asia and beyond, the symposium aims to explore the role of radiation technologies in healthcare, diagnostics, cancer treatment, environmental protection, and sustainable development.

More than 100 specialists, scientists, and academicians are participating in person, while around 50 international delegates have joined virtually.

The inaugural session opened with welcome remarks by Prof. Dr. M. Aslam Baig, Secretary General PAS and Symposium Coordinator, followed by addresses from Dr. Masood Iqbal, Member Science at the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission (PAEC), and Prof. Dr. Kauser Abdulla Malik, President PAS.

Prof. Dr. Ahmet Nuri Yurdusev, President AASSA, as a chief guest, delivered the keynote address, highlighting the significance of regional and global scientific collaboration.

He reaffirmed AASSA’s support for Pakistan Academy of Sciences in hosting international scientific events.

The session concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Riffat M. Qureshi, Director Administration PAS and Focal Person of the Symposium.

The symposium featured plenary lectures and invited talks on radiation techniques in health and environment, radionuclide toxicity and remediation, biomedical imaging, adaptive radiotherapy, and cancer treatment innovations. Scholars from Bangladesh, China, Korea, Malaysia, and Pakistan presented their research, while young scientists showcased posters of their work.

The symposium will continue on August 19–20 with technical sessions on nuclear medicine, radiation safety, environmental applications, AI-driven imaging, and next-generation technologies.

The event will close with an award ceremony for best posters and a technical tour of radiation facilities in Islamabad.