KARACHI: A total of 12,584 murder and narcotics cases have been decided in about five months by 167 model courts set up across the country to conduct swift trials, it emerged on Thursday.

The model criminal trial courts (MCTCs) decided 4,897 murder and 7,687 narcotics cases by conducting expeditious trials since their establishment on April 1, according to official data obtained by Dawn. A total of 55,619 witnesses were examined in these cases.

The statistics showed that District and Sessions Judge Sohail Nasir of the MCTC Islamabad-West topped the list by deciding 69 murder cases, followed by Additional District and Sessions Judge Ghulam Qadir Tunio of the MCTC Kambar-Shahdadkot, who decided 60 murder cases.

Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Asif Saeed Khosa will give awards to the presiding officers of 24, out of the 167 MCTCs, on Friday (today) for deciding maximum number of cases at the district level.

CJP to give awards to presiding officers of 24 courts

The country’s top judge had set up model courts in April for quick disposal of the criminal cases involving heinous offences that often used to remain pending before the overburdened sessions courts.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Nadia Syed of the MCTC Mardan decided 55 murder cases.

In the second category, ASJ Arbab Sohail Hamid of the MCTC Charsadda decided the highest number of narcotics cases (135). ASJ Naveed Ahmed Soomro of the MCTC Karachi-Malir decided 132 narcotics cases and ASJ Raja Muhammad Ajmal Khan of the MCTC Mianwali disposed of 118 narcotics cases.

In the third category, ASJ Arbab Sohail Hamid (Charsadda) decided the highest number of murder and narcotics cases (185). ASJ Naveed Ahmed Soomro of Malir decided 180 murder and narcotics cases and DJ Sohail Nasir of Islamabad-West disposed of 167 such cases.

ASJ Raja Asif Mehmood of the MCTC Islamabad-East decided a total of 93 murder and narcotics cases. In Punjab, ASJ Muhammad Wajid Minhas of Kasur decided the highest number of murder cases (54), while ASJ Farhan Mudassar of Sargodha decided 53 and ASJ Chaudhry Zia Ullah of Sheikhupura disposed of 42 such cases.

ASJ Raja Muhammad Ajmal Khan of the MCTC Mianwali decided the highest number of narcotics cases (118), followed by ASJ Ghulam Shabbir Hussain of Jhelum with 89 and ASJ Raja Shahid Zamir of Rawalpindi 79 cases.

In Sindh, ASJ Ghulam Qadir Tunio of Kambar-Shahdadkot decided the highest number of murder cases (60), followed by ASJ Liaqat Ali Khoso of Karachi-Central with 52 and ASJ Naveed Ahmed Soomro of Malir 48 murder cases.

ASJ Soomro of Malir decided the maximum number of narcotics cases (132), followed by ASJ Haleem Ahmed of Karachi-East with 63 cases and DJ Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah of Tando Muhammad Khan who disposed of 46 narcotics cases.

ASJ Shyam Laal Ladhani of Larkana decided a total of 74 murder and narcotics cases.

In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, two women judges — ASJ Nadia Syed of the MCTC Mardan and ASJ Zainab Reham of Abbottabad — decided the highest number of murder cases (55 and 51), followed by ASJ Arbab Sohail of Charsadda, who decided 50 such cases.

ASJ Arbab Sohail decided the highest number of drug cases (135), followed by ASJ Usman Wali of D.I. Khan with 114 drug cases. ASJ Zainab Reham and ASJ Muhammad Zaib Khan of Swabi decided 83 drug cases each.

In Balochistan, ASJ Asad Ullah Kakar of Dera Murad Jamali decided the highest number of murder cases (47), while ASJ Zafar Jan of Barkhan disposed of 29 cases and DJ Munir Ahmed of Loralai 21 murder cases.

DJ Zafar Ullah Bazai of Quetta decided 40 narcotics cases, DJ Tahir Humayun of Gwadar 36 and DJ Munir Ahmad Marri of Loralai 22 such cases.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2019