ISLAMABAD, March 14: A meeting of the Chief Justices Committee headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Abdul Hamid Dogar on Friday asked for immediate increase in the strength of judges in the high courts and then filling these vacancies on an urgent basis to overcome the mounting backlog.

Presided over by Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, the meeting was attended by chief justices of the Federal Shariat Court, the High Courts of Lahore, Sindh, Peshawar, Balochistan, Islamabad and the AJK.

An official announcement said the chief justices reposed confidence and trust in the leadership of Chief Justice Dogar and extended their full support and cooperation.

The meeting discussed the issues and challenges confronting the system of administration of justice, the biggest being delay in the disposal of cases and the resultant ever-rising backlog. It stressed the need to pay special attention to the cases of condemned prisoners, juvenile offenders and women prisoners and asked for constitution of special benches for disposal of their cases within three months.

The meeting also asked to establish cells in all high courts for regular fixation and follow-up of such cases pending in the high courts and the subordinate judiciary.

Completion of investigation and submission of charge-sheets in courts within the timeframe provided under the law be adhered to strictly, the meeting said and stressed the need for constructing new jails with separate prisons for women, carrying out improvements in the existing jails, establishing courts in the jail premises for certain categories of cases and establishing judicial lock-ups near the court complexes.

It asked for establishment and activation of funds for payment of ‘Diyat’ (fines) on behalf of needy prisoners to secure their release in accordance with the rules.

The meeting also asked for discouraging unnecessary adjournments and adopting punitive measures on frivolous adjournments as provided under the law and disposing of terrorism cases in the light of the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) as well as the guidelines laid down by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in the case of Sheikh Liaquat Hussain in 1998.

In the Sheikh Liaquat Hussain case, the Supreme Court had declared the establishment of military trial courts (MTCs) under Article 245 as unconstitutional by setting aside sentences awarded by the military courts with a direction to transfer all pending cases to anti-terrorist courts.In the guidelines, the apex court had suggested that only one case be assigned at a time to a special court and till the judgment is announced no other case be referred to it. The special court concerned should proceed with the case entrusted to it on a day-to-day basis and pronounce judgment within seven days.

Charge-sheets should be submitted to a special court with adequate preparation and after ensuring that all witnesses be produced as and when required by the concerned special court. Any lapse on the part of the investigating and prosecuting agencies should entail immediate disciplinary action according to the law applicable.