PESHAWAR, Sept 7: Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Mr Tariq Pervez Khan said on Friday that about 12,600 cases were pending before the court and regretted that if government departments had been working properly, the burden on judiciary would be less today.

The chief justice was talking to the media after inaugurating an information kiosk service centre at a ceremony here on the premises of the court.

He said that three of the sanctioned 15 posts for judges had been lying vacant at the high court. He hoped that at least one post would be filled by December whereas the rest would be appointed by January. Regarding the 12,600 pending cases, he said: “Judges and lawyers have been striving to reduce the number of pending cases, but the delay was due to the lingering litigant cases,” he said.

Justice Tariq said that with the trust in judiciary restored more cases were being filed in courts. He regretted that government departments had not been giving people their due rights. “If the government departments resolve problems of aggrieved persons the burden on the judiciary will reduce to large extent,” he claimed.

The kiosk centre, established at a cost of rupees one million, would allow the general public to register their complaints, if any, about the judiciary. It would provide information to litigants and visitors about cases fixed for hearing at the court.

Later, the chief justice surveyed sections of a newly constructed building at the court and exchanged views with Peshawar High Court Bar Association president Latif Afridi and other senior members of the association.

Mr Afridi said the sanctioned strength of 15 judges at the high court was much less keeping in view the growing number of cases and increasing population. He called for the sanctioning of seven more posts apart from the 15.

“There is a need to increase salaries and benefits of the lower judiciary to reduce corruption,” he said.

The ceremony was attended by senior and junior lawyers.—Bureau