Ghag has now been made a criminal offence with up to seven years of imprisonment and a penalty, says CJ PHC. DESIGN: KIRAN SHAHID
Last year, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) successfully disposed of 70% of the cases filed in the court, while the district judiciary of the province decided 96% of its registered cases.
A total of 22,636 cases had been filed at the PHC in 2012 of which 15,847 cases have been disposed of, while 229,068 cases were registered at the district judiciary of which 220,287 have been decided, said PHC Chief Justice (CJ) Dost Muhammad Khan during a meeting with journalists on Tuesday.
The Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) decided 1,161 cases out of 1,270 filed cases. The Labour Court decided 6,437 out of 7,401, the Accountability Court decided 79 out of 82 cases, the Banking Court decided 2 out of 7, the Anti-Narcotics Court decided 64 out of 92, the Anti Corruption Court decided 184 out of 219, whereas the Customs, Taxation and Anti-Smuggling Court decided 31 cases out of 32 filed last year.
The media was also briefed about public trust developing in the PHC Human Rights Directorate which has so far decided 3,174 cases out of 3,844 applications filed by litigants living below the poverty line. A majority of these cases were disposed of within 72 hours.
CJ Khan said the court also took up cases pertaining to public interest including those regarding missing persons. He added that since 2012 was declared the year for the release of missing persons, 1,142 persons have returned home and 1,114 have been sent to internment centres and will be tried at the ATC.
In what was a clear reference to security forces and spy agencies, Justice Khan said the courts were confronted after serving notices to those unwilling to identify the detained persons, but “we told them that you are bound to surrender before the rule of law and thus forced them to adhere to the court’s orders.”
He also said Swara and Ghag, the practices of forcefully marrying girls off, conveyed a negative message to the world and the government was asked to formulate a law against it. He added Ghag has now been made a criminal offence with up to seven years of imprisonment and a penalty.
Justice Khan said the land mafia had encroached upon graveyard land and so far 1,078 kanals of both commercial and residential land has been retrieved and handed over to the Auqaf Department.
He said the shaheed package for Levies, Police, Scouts and Khasadar forces was also increased from Rs0.1 million to Rs30 million upon the court’s orders.
Justice Khan said the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Judicial Academy has started training lawyers, judicial magistrates and prosecutors, while a new FM Channel ‘Radio Meezan’ will provide people, especially women and children, legal assistance and information about their rights.
The media was also informed about new residences being built for judges posted across the province and the soon to be introduced pilot project of K-P mobile courts, which will provide justice to downtrodden masses at their doorstep.
Justice Khan said that the world has become a global village. “If one remote part of the world is disturbed, it poses a threat to the whole world,” he said.
| Cases | Decided | Registered |
| Peshawar High Court (PHC) | 15,847 | 22,636 |
| District Judiciary | 220,287 | 229,068 |
| Anti-Terrorism Court | 1,161 | 1,270 |
| Labour Court | 6,437 | 7,401 |
| Accountability Court | 79 | 82 |
| Anti Corruption Court | 184 | 219 |
| PHC Human RightsDirectorate | 3,174 | 3,844 |
Published in The Express Tribune, January 10th, 2013.
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but not a single terrorist was hanged !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!