NJPMC lauds steps to curb enforced disappearances

ISLAMABAD:

The National Judicial Policy Making Committee (NJPMC) has appreciated the government's "effective steps" to address the issue of enforced disappearances.

Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Awan will present a comprehensive mechanism at the next meeting of the forum to redress complaints of non-compliance with the legal requirement of production of a detained person before a magistrate within twenty-four hours.

The 56th meeting of the NJPMC was held under the chairmanship of Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi. Chief justices of all high courts and Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) Chief Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan attended the meeting.

The committee deliberated on key policy issues, while reviewing implementation status of the decisions taken in its 55th meeting. It unanimously reiterated its resolve to strengthen institutional capacity, accelerate access to justice, and ensure efficient and effective justice delivery.

According to the meeting's communiqué, the NJPMC discussed how to respond to enforced disappearances and commercial cases.

The forum appreciated that the government has taken "effective steps" to address the issue.

It was decided that the AGP would present a comprehensive mechanism to redress complaints of non-compliance with the legal requirement of production of a detained person before a magistrate.

Other key decisions included the implementation of a Commercial Litigation Corridor for speedy disposal of commercial cases, strict enforcement of fixed timelines for case decisions, and the preparation of national guidelines for the use of artificial intelligence in courts.

The committee reviewed the recommendations of the sub-committee constituted to address protracted litigation and injunctive orders in commercial, revenue, and fiscal cases.

The sub-committee's report highlighted key reforms, including establishment of dedicated benches, curtailment of frivolous litigation, constitution of a screening committee at the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) level, avoidance of coercive revenue targets for state-owned enterprises, and improvements in tribunal structures.

The sub-committee's report was shared with all the high courts for input, which endorsed it unanimously. The NJPMC appreciated endorsement by the high courts and unanimously decided to implement the recommendations.

The Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP) was directed to share the recommendations with the FBR for implementation. The LJCP was also directed to approach the FBR with a request to set in place a mechanism for taxation and revenue case management at each high court on the pattern of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

The committee lauded the disposal of 5,58,474 out of 12,53,425 cases of specified categories within the notified timeframe during the preceding quarter, "which is reflective of the strong commitment of the high courts".

The forum also appreciated the Lahore High Court (LHC) for deciding a record number of 465,455 cases in the notified categories. It also commended the Peshawar High Court (PHC) for the initiatives undertaken for prioritizing inheritance cases and double docket regime.