Judges may hold court in evenings

Law minister says ICT likely to get the facility to clear the backlog of cases

ISLAMABAD: The Evening Courts Bill, 2017 for Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) is under consideration to reduce the pendency of cases in the courts.

It was stated by Minister for Law and Justice Zahid Hamid in written reply to a question during the seventh sitting of the 41st session of National Assembly on Thursday.

However, the minister said, there was no proposal under consideration to keep the courts open round the clock.

There was a huge pendency of cases against the present strength of judges, he said, adding the proposed bill sought to set up evening courts in the ICT for speedy disposal of cases and clearance of backlog.

To another question about raids of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) to control corruption, the minister said the bureau acts only on credible information. Hamid said the NAB raiding party consists of judicial magistrate, concerned investigators, security personnel and local police.

The recovered amount was considered case property and kept in the vault of the State Bank of Pakistan after duly scrutinized in the presence of judicial magistrate and remain there till the conclusion of legal proceedings from the court of competent jurisdiction. Other properties like vehicles were kept in the Maal Khana – the designated store for case properties.

However, on the finality of case from the courts of law, the minister said the received amount was surrendered deposed in the concerned exchequer after the approval of competent authority.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 21^st, 2017.