Unfulfilled expectations: Justice on wheels runs into a rut

K-P’s mobile court remains stationary for four months after only three visits.


Noorwali Shah March 29, 2014
K-P’s mobile court remains stationary for four months after only three visits. PHOTO: ZEESHAN ANWAR/EXPRESS

PESHAWAR: After its last visit to Daudzai village on Charsadda Road in December 2013, the country’s first-ever mobile court has remained parked at the Judicial Complex.

With the financial support of United Nations Development Program, former Chief Justice (CJ) of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) Dost Muhammad Khan inaugurated the mobile court on July 27, 2013. Its aim was to save people time and solve minor cases at the doorstep of those who could not afford court fees. The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Judicial Academy trained special judges and mediators, known as ‘friends of the court’, who would travel to far-flung areas and resolve disputes.

A total of Rs15 million was spent on the green bus carrying the name of ‘Mobile Court’, which has conducted three visits outside the premises of the PHC since its inauguration and can be seen parked outside the lower judiciary building these days.

In its three trips, the court was able to solve around 120 civil and criminal cases in Hayatabad, Tarnab and Daudzai areas of the city. Through the initiative, a land dispute in Tarnab, that had claimed the lives of people from both sides, was also solved.

“This was the first-ever mobile court of the country, and had gained the attention of the national and international media,” said Bashar Naveed, a lawyer who was trained for mediation in the mobile court. “The people of K-P had great hopes of justice from this initiative, but the court has not moved in the past four months.”

Naveed said a huge amount had been spent on the training of judges and mediators, and the manufacturing of the vehicle, which will be a waste if it is not utilised. There are no security concerns for the court and they are provided foolproof security by local police wherever they go, he added.

Although there may be a rare session of the provincial assembly where a single bill has not been passed, a bill relating to the mobile courts has not received any attention as yet. The former PHC CJ had claimed that if the proposed laws were approved by the government and enacted, 11 mobile courts would be set up across the province. Four mobile courts were planned to be set up in the district of Peshawar, two each in Hazara and the southern districts of K-P, and three in Malakand division.

The PHC has prepared two drafts – Criminal Mobile Courts Act 2012 and Civil Mobile Courts Act 2012 and sent it to the government for presentation in the assembly, but to no avail.

“We hope that the two drafts sent to the provincial government will soon be presented before the house and that the mobile court will start functioning in the city, so that justice can be delivered at the doorsteps of people,” said Maulana Shamsul Haq, who was also trained as a mediator for the mobile court.

Despite repeated efforts, the in-charge of the mobile court could not be contacted.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 29th, 2014.

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