Four new: ATCs to start functioning this week

ATCs' administrative judge transfers cases to the newly established ATCs.

KARACHI:

The four newly established anti-terrorism courts will most likely start functioning from this week onwards as cases were transferred to them on Tuesday.

The administrative judge of the anti-terrorism courts in Karachi has ordered to transfer 400 cases from the three overburdened courts to six others, including the four newly established courts, The Express Tribune has learnt. The judge, Bashir Ahmed Khoso, ordered the transfer of 100 cases each from ATC-I and III and 200 cases from ATC-II to the six other ATCs.

The judge has assigned 100 cases each to ATC-IV and V while 50 cases each have been assigned to the newly established ATC - VI, VII, VIII and IX - which will soon become functional. The transfer order came on Tuesday, following the directives of the high court. The decision was made because the three ATCs were overburdened as around 300 cases were pending before ATC-I, over 550 before ATC-II and around 400 before ATC-III, said a court official.

"Increase in the number of courts will reduce the burden," said Abdul Maroof, the district public prosecutor at ATC-III. "Nine courts will definitely dispense justice in days instead of months." The newly established courts will start functioning from this week as judges, prosecutors and other staff members have been appointed, he said.

The number of special anti-terrorism courts was increased to 10 after the government set up another five, following the Supreme Court's (SC) directives to curtail the escalating lawlessness in the city through expeditious trials.

The Sindh High Court had appointed four judges as presiding officers of the new ATCs following the provincial government's request to increase the number of courts. The new ATCs have been established in the barracks of the Pakistan Secretariat, where the existing ATCs were also relocated.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 9^th, 2014.