Biometric verification of litigants made compulsory
Rawalpindi district courts get machines to eliminate bogus testimonies
Those who would fail to perform the verification after Sunday may face blocking of their bank accounts. STOCK IMAGE
RAWALPINDI:
The lower judiciary has taken a big step of biometric and photo verification to make court system transparent by eliminating the submission of fake affidavits.
For this purpose, the biometric machines have been installed in the Rawalpindi district courts. The thumb impressions of litigants are now being obtained against each written statement or affidavit submitted by them in the court.
Even high-profile suspects coming to the courts this week had to pass through the procedure, though after expressing reservations.
Further, the related authorities have directed to paste original photos on court’s order sheet. The women in elopement cases or those recovered in abduction cases have also been included in the practice. Women observing veil will also have to go through the same photo verification process with their veils off.
All courts across Punjab have adopted the practice that the litigants initially have to go through the biometric verification process. After first step, their photos are clicked from computer and pasted on court’s order sheet.
The measure would help block submission of fake documents by a person on behalf of another person just using the national identity card (NIC).
Fighting for identification: Biometric verification — an uphill struggle for many
While talking to The Express Tribune, the senior lawyers hailed the decision and expressed that the initiative would completely eliminate tout-ism in the courts. They said that photos of litigants in a case should also made mandatory in order to make the process more transparent.
Further, Lahore High Court Bar Association President Ghulam Mustafa said that the measure was the need of time. He said that the Lahore high Court (LHC) chief justice was formally requested for implementation of biometric and photo verification.
He said that no fake person particularly women could appear on other’s behalf after the measure. The violators would be arrested on the spot, he said.
Moreover, District Bar Association the Secretary General Shehzad Mir said that they had already kicked-out the tout mafia from the district courts.
He said that touts used to give false guarantee on bails and testimonies in cases in the past however after the system was enforced, their way had been blocked. Mir said that the practice of gobbling up property by presenting fake women in such cases would be completely eliminated after the measure.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 3rd, 2019.
The lower judiciary has taken a big step of biometric and photo verification to make court system transparent by eliminating the submission of fake affidavits.
For this purpose, the biometric machines have been installed in the Rawalpindi district courts. The thumb impressions of litigants are now being obtained against each written statement or affidavit submitted by them in the court.
Even high-profile suspects coming to the courts this week had to pass through the procedure, though after expressing reservations.
Further, the related authorities have directed to paste original photos on court’s order sheet. The women in elopement cases or those recovered in abduction cases have also been included in the practice. Women observing veil will also have to go through the same photo verification process with their veils off.
All courts across Punjab have adopted the practice that the litigants initially have to go through the biometric verification process. After first step, their photos are clicked from computer and pasted on court’s order sheet.
The measure would help block submission of fake documents by a person on behalf of another person just using the national identity card (NIC).
Fighting for identification: Biometric verification — an uphill struggle for many
While talking to The Express Tribune, the senior lawyers hailed the decision and expressed that the initiative would completely eliminate tout-ism in the courts. They said that photos of litigants in a case should also made mandatory in order to make the process more transparent.
Further, Lahore High Court Bar Association President Ghulam Mustafa said that the measure was the need of time. He said that the Lahore high Court (LHC) chief justice was formally requested for implementation of biometric and photo verification.
He said that no fake person particularly women could appear on other’s behalf after the measure. The violators would be arrested on the spot, he said.
Moreover, District Bar Association the Secretary General Shehzad Mir said that they had already kicked-out the tout mafia from the district courts.
He said that touts used to give false guarantee on bails and testimonies in cases in the past however after the system was enforced, their way had been blocked. Mir said that the practice of gobbling up property by presenting fake women in such cases would be completely eliminated after the measure.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 3rd, 2019.