ISLAMABAD, Jan 20: Federal Minister for Law and Justice Wasi Zafar on Friday informed the Senate that at present 12,500 appeals were pending with Federal Services Tribunal (FST). Replying to a question of Senator Mohammad Akram, the law minister also informed the house that 2,859 cases were pending for more than five years.

Giving break-up, he said 4,407 cases were pending with the FST for more than one year, 3,188 for more than two years and 2,046 for more than three years.

Briefing the senators about the steps taken by the government for the quick disposal of the cases, the minister said that Gen Pervez Musharraf had approved appointment of four members in the FST on December 30, last year. Moreover, he said, the FST had constituted two additional benches in Islamabad, which would help substantially reduce the pendency.

Ruling party senator Ch Anwar Bhinder said the data showed that backlog of cases was increasing constantly. He said it was against the principle of justice as after decision from the FST, these complainants would also go to the Supreme Court which would further take time. He said why the government was not increasing the members of the FST.

The law minister said that the government was trying to find out the causes of this backlog had its increase. He said the Supreme Court was also hearing a case in which it would decide whether some employees had the right to go to the FST or not.

He said if the SC decided that the employees did not have the right to go to the FST then the number of pending cases would automatically reduce as three-fourth of the cases would be dropped.

However, if the SC gave verdict that these employees could take the matter to the FST, then the government would formulate a policy to decrease the number of pending cases.

Mr Bhinder said that it was not a correct approach of the government.

Another ruling party senator and a former law minister Khalid Ranjha said that they should not presume the things as it was an important issue. He was of the view that the number of pending cases could not be reduced merely by increasing the number of judges.

Giving an example, he said there were 11 judges in the Supreme Court of the US while they had 17 judges in the SC. However, the number of backlog cases was higher in Pakistan than the US.

Mr Ranjha said that the backlog would continue to increase even if they increased the number of judges to 28. He said the backlog could be reduced through better case management and the government should focus on this aspect. “Case management is the only solution to end the backlog,” he said.

Law Minister Wasi Zafar said that he had prepared a draft of the law regarding case management and it would soon be presented before the National Assembly. He said that more than 200 amendments had been suggested in the new law and that was the reason that the National Assembly committee took some eight months to review it.

Mr Zafar claimed that this was for the first time that a law had been prepared keeping in view the problems of the common people.

He said the proposed law also contained “Alternative Dispute Resolution” mechanism. He said the purpose should not only end the cases but grievances of the people should also be redressed and they should be provided justice.

The minister said if the people would get justice then 80 per cent of the country’s problems would be resolved.