ISLAMABAD, Feb 11: The Supreme Court disposed of 3,746 cases in January 2006 against institution of 415 new ones. According to a statement, the ratio of disposal was nine times higher than fresh institutions. This augurs well for the court which has huge pendency of cases and will enable it to diminish backlog within a very short time.

The statement said the constitution of benches at the principal seat in Islamabad and branch registries at the provincial headquarters coupled with the strategy of the court to prepare cause lists in advance and discouraging adjournments, apparently worked well and served the purpose of accelerating disposal.

At the principal seat of Islamabad, a total of 2,788 cases were decided while 115 new ones were registered. Figures for cases disposed of and new institutions at the branch registry Lahore were 818 and 207, at Karachi 86 and 45, at Peshawar 52 and 27, and at Quetta 2 and 21, respectively.

Consequently, the overall backlog of cases pending in the Supreme Court on February 1 has been reduced to 18,466 cases.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry has appreciated the efforts of his fellow judges and expressed the hope that the court would succeed in considerably reducing and ultimately diminishing the huge pendency, desirably within the current year.