Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Usman Awan was asked to present a comprehensive mechanism to address complaints regarding non-compliance with the legal requirement to produce a detained person before a magistrate within 24 hours.
This was stated at the 56th meeting of the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee (NJPMC), chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi, held on Saturday.
Earlier, the AGP had informed the forum, at the 55th meeting of the NJPMC, that the issue of enforced disappearances has largely been addressed through the recent amendment to Section 11EEEE of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, which requires the production of a detained person before a magistrate within 24 hours.
The AGP had assured the committee that a comprehensive mechanism to redress complaints of non-compliance with this legal requirement is being considered by the government and will be presented to the committee in its next meeting.
Today, the NJPMC deliberated on key policy issues while reviewing the implementation status of the decisions taken at the previous meeting. The committee unanimously reiterated its commitment to strengthening institutional capacity, accelerating access to justice, and ensuring the efficient and effective delivery of justice.
The meeting, convened at the Supreme Court of Pakistan building, was also attended by the chief justices of all high courts, while the chief justice of the Federal Constitutional Court of Pakistan attended the meeting on special invitation.
Commercial Litigation Corridor
On the Commercial Litigation Corridor (CLC), the committee reviewed the recommendations of the sub-committee constituted to address protracted litigation and injunctive orders in commercial, revenue, and fiscal cases.
The sub-committee’s report highlighted key reforms, including the establishment of dedicated benches, the curtailment of frivolous litigation, the constitution of a screening committee at the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) level, the avoidance of coercive revenue targets for state-owned enterprises, and improvements in tribunal structures. The report, which was shared with the high courts for input, was unanimously endorsed.
The forum also decided to implement the recommendations and instructed the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP) to share them with the FBR for implementation.
The LJCP was further instructed to approach the FBR with a request to establish a mechanism for taxation and revenue case management at each high court, on the pattern of the Supreme Court.
Timeline for disposal of cases
On the timelines for disposal of different categories of cases, the committee lauded the disposal of 558,474 cases out of 1,253,425 of specified categories within the notified timeframe during the preceding quarter, saying it was reflective of the strong commitment of the high courts.
The forum placed on record its special appreciation for the Lahore High Court (LHC) for deciding a record number of 465,455 cases in the notified categories.
Likewise, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) was commended for the initiatives undertaken to prioritise inheritance cases and implement the double docket regime.
The committee also asked the high courts to dispose of the oldest succession cases, up to the year 2019, within 30 days.
Attendees of the meeting appreciated the high courts for establishing model trial courts for the disposal of chronic civil and criminal cases.
The LHC disposed of 6,246 civil and 22,594 criminal cases; the Sindh High Court (SHC) 1,108 and 8,368; the PHC 308 and 332; the Balochistan High Court (BHC) 235 and 374; the Islamabad High Court (IHC) 99 and 21.
District judiciary and jail reforms
The NJPMC asked a special committee to finalize its recommendations on District Judiciary Reforms within 30 days, for consideration at the next meeting. For this purpose, the LHC chief justice was asked to convene a meeting of the reform committee in Lahore.
Referring to jail reforms, the LJCP Secretariat confirmed that the reports of the sub-committees and the consolidated action plan had been shared with the chairpersons of the Provincial Justice Committees.
Use of AI in judiciary
Following extensive consultations with experts, a draft titled National Guidelines for the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Judicial Institutions in Pakistan was presented before the committee, highlighting the finalisation of the National Judicial Automation Committee (NJAC).
The draft guidelines shall be finalized and placed before the NJPMC for approval at the next meeting.
E-filing of cases
Under the digital transformation roadmap and the launch of e-filing of cases, the committee approved the immediate initiation and implementation of e-filing in all district courts as the first phase of the National E-Court Project.
It was further decided that the high courts would review existing rules, including the relevant parts of Schedule I of the Code of Civil Procedure, or invoke their rule-making powers, as has been done by the SHC, to enable electronic filing of cases.
Family support and mediation centres
The committee appreciated the concept of establishing one-window, integrated family and women facilitation centers within judicial complexes, a proposal presented by the National Commission on the Status of Women and approved in principle, subject to the Government’s commitment to provide the necessary funds.
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