Year in review: SHC manages to bring down backlog of cases in 2015

Volume of pending cases down by 20% in SHC principal seat and circuit benches.

KARACHI:

For the first time in recent years, the Sindh High Court (SHC) managed to decrease its backlog of cases during the year 2015 by increasing the working strength of the institution.

Last year, the high court saw hierarchical changes at the top level, as two chief  took charge in 10 months. Former chief justice, Faisal Arab, had taken oath of the office on February 17, 2015. Upon his elevation to the Supreme Court, senior puisne judge, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, took over the office on December 14, 2015.

Below the chief justice's chamber, the induction of 10 additional judges increased its working strength from 23 to 33 in October last year. The total sanctioned strength is 40 and the important public institution is still short of seven judges.



More litigations

The outgoing year was a busy one for the superior judiciary in the province as it witnessed a gradual rise in the number of litigations. However, the volume of pending cases decreased by around 20 per cent at the SHC principal seat at Karachi and three circuit benches in Larkana, Hyderabad and Sukkur.

According to statistics obtained by The Express Tribune, a total of 143,280 cases were disposed of in all the SHC benches in Sindh during 2015. By the end of the year, 59,435 cases were pending against the 73,450 pending cases recorded at the end of 2014.

The institution of new cases saw, however, a steep rise in the last three years. In 2015, a rise of 15 per cent was seen in the institution of constitutional matters with 8,054 new constitutional petitions instituted at the Sindh High Court's principal seat in Karachi by December 31, 2015.

In the year 2014, the number of constitutional petitions was recorded at 6,800, which was an increase from 5,600 in 2013. According to court officials, 2,635 lawsuits were filed during the year.

Criminal hot-bed

The province, particularly Karachi, remained a hotbed for criminal activities as the law enforcers engaged in targeted operations against people involved in heinous crimes. As a result, the number of criminal cases also jumped. "As many as 135 death convicts' appeals challenging the verdicts of different anti-terrorism courts (ATCs) are pending decisions at the high court's criminal branch," a court official told The Express Tribune, requesting anonymity. "Around 207 convicts appealed against the sentence of life imprisonment awarded by the ATCs," he added.



The statistics showed that 446 appeals were also filed against sentences given by the ATCs for different offences; 322 against sentences beyond seven-year imprisonment and 124 against imprisonment of below seven years.

Corruption cases

Widening the scope of the National Action Plan, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had intensified their action against government functionaries as well as the private individuals for their involvement in corruption and misappropriation of public wealth. Last year, the high court received 81 appeals against the conviction and other orders passed by the Accountability Courts in Sindh, particularly in Karachi. "Of them, 69 have been instituted by the state," explained a court official.

Money laundering

The pending petitions included those filed by Axact CEO Shoaib Ahmed Sheikh against action by the FIA on allegations of money laundering and issuing fake degrees. Supermodel Ayyan Ali's petition seeking removal of her name from the exit control list following her arrest for smuggling currency, is also pending disposal at the high court.

Journalists' killing cases

The appeals filed by Ahmed Omer Sheikh, the killer of the American journalist, Daniel Pearl, is pending decision since 2002 at the high court, as the hearings have continued to linger on behalf of the contesting parties. Similarly, the appeals of the convicts sentenced to death and life imprisonment for killing Geo TV reporter, Wali Khan Babar, are also pending adjudication, as the main defendants have challenged their conviction in 'absentia' since arrested this March.

Upscale terrorism

There are appeals of 135 death convicts, including Shahrukh Jatoi, who have challenged their sentences awarded by the anti-terrorism courts. Jatoi's application claiming juvenility is also waiting for a decision while the high court has yet to decide the fate of the 'compromise' signed by the condemned prisoner with Shahzeb Khan's family.

In a similar case, the applications relating to the murder of a student, Suleiman Lashari allegedly by his classmate, Salman Abro, is also pending decision.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 3^rd, 2016.