New system to track cases that hinder govt business

• Move will help executive branch keep an eye on pending cases, including tax matters, where millions are stuck up due to delays in adjudication
• Law minister says ‘nearly 99pc’of govt work being carried out digitally

ISLAMABAD: In a bid to settle the government’s gripe over pending cases that hamper its workings, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday inaugura­ted the tra­nsformative Case Assi­gn­ments and Mana­gement Sys­tem (CAMS) initiative, which will help officials keep track of pending matters and ensure their timely settlement.

“[CAMS] was long overdue because litigants and applicants from all over the country wanted transparent and speedy justice, and this initiative will go a long way to address their grievances and provide justice in a reasonable time frame,” he said at the launch ceremony.

A software platform desig­ned to efficiently track, organise and manage individual cases within an organisation, CAMS is modelled on systems often used in fields such as customer services, legal practices, healthcare etc where individual issues require dedicated attention and tracking.

PM Shehbaz has often criticised how the recovery of millions of rupees often gets bogged down due to litigation. This initiative, a PM Office official told media, would help address such problems.

The CAMS dashboard would offer the executive an overview of pending cases involving the government that have not been decided for years.

Under the system, the status of various cases involving different ministries and departments would be available on their websites, allowing various arms of the government to keep an eye on their progress, as well as working towards their speedy disposal.

A whole host of tax-related cases involving the potential recovery of billions of rupees, which are pending before the courts, can also be addressed through the system.

Speaking at the occasion, the PM recalled that a track-and-trace system introduced by the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) did not yield the desired results. However, he claimed that his government had successfully launched a more efficient system.

“FBR is now having a trial run of faceless interaction at Karachi port, and once it is fully operational, it will then be replicated at various seaports, dry ports and other places all over the country,” he said.

He regretted that due to lack of transparent modern technology that often led to corruption, the country faced losses to the tune of trillions of rupees.

“I have been personally following this,” PM Shehbaz said, adding that a couple of days ago, he also met the chief justice of Pakistan to request him to ensure ‘speedy decisions on merit’.

Cases involving trillions of rupees were pending at the tribunal level and higher forums, as well as high court and Supreme Court, he pointed out.

The premier expressed his resolve to recover “each penny that was due” and spend it for the betterment of people.

E-governance

Speaking at the occasion, Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar said that 98.5 per cent of the federal government’s official work was conducted through the e-business portal.

He said the prime minister had always expressed concern over delays in the judicial system, and now the federal laws had been put on a mobile app, ensuring amendments were updated swiftly.

“Our response time for amendments is now just 48 hours,” he remarked.

UNODC Country Representative Troels Vester highlighted that his office was committed to improving the justice system by making it faster, more efficient, and fairer for all through effective oversight mechanisms.

He extended appreciation to PM Shehbaz’s leadership in driving government reforms, particularly in modernising Pakistan’s justice sector.

Mr Vester said this launch aligned directly with the premier’s e-office initiative, and the UNODC was grateful for the support from the Ministry of Law and Justice and its team, whose hard work had turned this vision into reality.

Meeting with retailers

Later, PM Shehbaz ordered the constitution of a committee to resolve different issues faced by retail businesses, while assuring them of the government’s all-out support for the purpose.

In a meeting with a delegation of the Pakistan Retail Business Council, headed by its chairman, Ziad Bashir, the premier said efforts were being made to bring more retailers into the tax net instead of burdening the tax-paying retailers further.

He also told the delegation that steps were being taken to curb smuggling in the guise of used goods, according to a PM Office press release.

The prime minister urged the local industry to adopt innovation and modern technology to enhance exports and compete in the international market.

Besides introducing reforms in the FBR, the government was taking measures to promote cashless economy, he said.

The retailers lauded the government efforts for economic stability.

In a separate meeting, PM Shehbaz approved a three-year training programme for young professionals. He said the youth was an asset of Pakistan and it was a top priority of the government to equip them with professional training and skills.

Published in media, February 22nd, 2025