In Sindh’s courts, over 100,000 cases remain undecided

Due to defence lawyers’ delay tactics, prosecutors’ irresponsible attitude, shortage of judges and ministerial staff and lack of infrastructural facilities, more than 100,000 different cases remain pending in 437 subordinate courts of the province, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Well-placed sources in the judicial circles told Pakistan Today that in the 23 Sindh districts and another four Karachi sub-districts, 107,088 are pending because of the problems plaguing the country’s judiciary.
The ministerial staff of the subordinate courts also remained on strike on many occasions, as the Sindh government showed reluctance in increasing their salaries and judicial allowances according to the decision of the Sindh High Court (SHC) the previous year.
It is worth mentioning that the ministerial staffs of the courts in the other three provinces – Punjab, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – are drawing proper salaries and judicial allowances.
In 2009, there were 106,840 pending cases in the courts of the province. The number was reduced to a minor extent to 106,290 in 2010; whereas, in 2011 the number of pending cases reached 107,088.
According to the figures cited by the sources, the Karachi division’s West district has over 16,000 pending cases; East district 13,756; South district 11,352; Central district 7,690; and Malir district 5,772.
Moreover, 9,598 cases are pending in Hyderabad; 4,161 in Sukkur; 4,004 in Nosheroferoz; 3,998 in Dadu; 3,849 in Khairpur; 3,818 in Ghotki; 3,445 in Benazirabad; 2,346 in Larkana; 2,135 in Mirpurkhas; 2,127 in Shikarpur; 2,088 in Badin; 1,729 in Qamber Shahdadkot; 1,490 in Jamshoro; 1,130 in Thatta; 1,078 in Kandhkot; 1,103 in Jacobabad; 591 in Sanghar; and another 190 in Mithi.
NAB COURTS: Of the 166 cases filed in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) courts last year, only four cases were disposed of and 162 remain pending.
Out of the four NAB courts in Karachi, 27, 28 and 23 cases were filed at the NAB Court-I, the NAB Court-II and the NAB Court-IV, respectively, and only one case each was disposed of by the three courts.
Between 1985 and 2011, some 39,904 different cases, including criminal and civil, remain undecided.
ATCs: The anti-terrorism courts (ATCs) that were established for speedy trial and justice also face a lot of problems, such as shortage of judges, lack of facilities, and incompetent and politically appointed prosecutors.
At one stage last year, seven of the 11 ATC courts were without judges, but the Sindh Law Department appointed 32 lawyers as prosecutors, special public prosecutors and deputy prosecutors, majority of whom belonged to the People’s Lawyers Forum, the ruling party’s lawyers’ wing.
Many sensitive and high-profile cases remained pending throughout 2011, including the cases of the Ashura blast, the attack on the CID Centre and the murder of journalist Wali Khan Babar.
Karachi has three ATCs where 300 cases are pending, whereas 310 are pending in Khairpur, 236 in Jacobabad, 143 in Sukkur, 106 in Hyderabad, 61 in Benazirabad, 60 in Larkana, 26 in Mirpurkhas and six in Badin.
On many occasions, the Supreme Court of Pakistan took notice of the poor performance and conditions of Sindh’s ATCs.
The apex court ordered removing incompetent and politically appointed prosecutors, and appointing judges recommended by the SHC.
In compliance with these orders, all 32 prosecutors were sacked and those recommended by the high court’s judges were appointed.
Judicial sources expressed hope that following this, better performance of the courts could be expected this year.