'Efforts being made to provide swift justice'

PHC’s top judge says three judges tasked with tackling massive backlog of cases in Abbottabad

ABBOTTABAD: Lawyers and members of the judiciary have been urged to provide the public with swift justice.

This was stated by Peshawar High Court (PHC) Chief Justice Yahya Afridi on Monday. He was visiting Abbottabad to lay the foundation for a bar room at the Abbottabad circuit of the court.

The bar room will be constructed at a cost of Rs90 million and is expected to be completed in nine months.

The PHC chief justice added that all cases relating to the environment would be heard and decided in the “Green Benches” on a priority basis.

He asked the president of the bar associations, members of the bar councils to present their proposals on a mechanism for the early disposal of cases.

A meeting in this regard is expected to be held in Peshawar on July 22 to devise a unique strategy produced by the joint efforts of the bar and bench.

Talking about the large number of cases pending in the Abbottabad Circuit, Justice Afridi said that most of the cases relate to the Hazara division. Hence, three judges have been tasked with hearing the cases on a full-time basis the Abbottabad circuit.

He hoped that the move would provide relief for appellants and lawyers apart from reducing the burden on the judiciary and providing quick justice to the people.

Earlier, the Peshawar High Court Bar Association (PHCBA) Abbottabad circuit President Arshad Awan welcomed Justice Afridi.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 18^th, 2017.