Most cases pending since ‘90s are civil pleas

LAHORE:

As many as 165,745 cases registered between 1990 and 2014 are pending hearings at the various city courts, states a report submitted by the district and sessions judge to the Lahore High Court.

About 87 per cent of these (144,555) are pending hearings at civil and magistrates’ courts. These include family, rental agreement and land acquisition disputes and execution petitions.

As many as 60 were filed in 1990; 14 in 1991; 37 in 1992; 36 in 1993; 46 in 1994; 48 in 1995; 80 in 1996; 117 in 1997; 134 in 1998; 142 in 1999; 183 in 2000; 243 in 2001; 333 in 2002; 489 in 2003; 635 in 2004; 856 in 2005; 954 in 2006; 1,182 in 2007; 1,635 in 2008; 3,709 in 2009; 5,800 in 2010; 8,881 in 2011; 19,059 in 2012; 34,966 in 2013 and 64,916 in 2014.

The number of cases pending hearings at the sessions’ court is 21,190. These include murder, harassment, defamation and narcotics cases.

Of these, one each was filed in 1991 (civil appeal) and 1995 (defamation suit); two in 1997; 7 in 1998; 8 in 2000; 11 in 2001; 7 in 2002; 20 in 2003; 21 in 2004; 44 in 2005; 41 in 2006; 71 in 2007; 93 in 2008; 442 in 2009; 893 in 2010; 1,783 in 2011, 3,361 in 2012; 5,108 in 2013 and 9,276 in 2014.

The compilation of these cases had been undertaken on the directives of the LHC so that a plan could be formulated for their quick disposal.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 23^rd, 2015.