Court sets up bench to hear 327 appeals against AC decisions. PHOTO: EXPRESS/FILE
The National Accountability Bureau (Nab) has approached the high court to appoint presiding officers to two accountability courts in Sindh that are lying vacant, The Express Tribune learned on Wednesday.
According to sources, Nab Sindh chapter director-general Wajid Ali Durrani made this request at a meeting with the Sindh High Court chief justice Maqbool Baqar on Tuesday. Durrani informed Baqar that two accountability courts are lying vacant, as there are no presiding officers to conduct trials and decide the fate of the cases, said an official, adding that he requested the appointment of presiding officers.
Trial delays
According to Durrani, as many as 327 appeals, including 107 filed by Nab and 265 by the respondent parties, challenging the verdicts of the accountability courts, are pending with the high court.
The director-general submitted that Nab Sindh had instituted 506 references relating to corrupt practices with the accountability courts in the province. The accountability courts have decided 291 cases. “The courts convicted and sentenced the accused in 228 cases and acquitted the others in 131 cases.” He further informed that 216 cases are still pending trial.
SHC constitutes bench
Meanwhile, chief justice Baqar has constituted an appellate bench to hear and decide the appeals filed against the decisions of the special accountability courts in the province, a judicial officer wishing anonymity told The Express Tribune.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 15th, 2013.
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So this truly depicts the state of affairs of our Judicial System. Every department is more or less dependent on one or more other State Institutions, in this case Judiciary, to decide the fate of their case or bring their case to it's logical conclusion. However dependence upon such dysfunctional Institutions often due to their lack of workforce, resource constraints and willingness to undertake their official business affect the performance of the relying departments seeking to await the outcome of their cases. Judicial System must provide speedy justice to address the disposal of cases in regards to menace of Corruption in Pakistan.