ISLAMABAD, May 2: The Supreme Court of Pakistan disposed of 2,012 cases in the month of April as against institution of 968 new cases. According to a press release issued here on Tuesday, Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry constituted benches at the principal seat Islamabad and branch registries at Lahore, Karachi and Quetta.

“The strategy of the court to prepare cause lists in advance and discouraging adjournment worked well during the last month and served the purpose of accelerating disposal of the cases.”

The judges also worked hard as a team to achieve the desired target of disposal of cases expeditiously and diminish the backlog.

At the principal seat, 993 cases were decided as compared to 466 newly registered cases. At the branch registry Lahore, 725 cases were disposed of as compared to fresh institution of 362 cases; at branch registry Karachi 128 cases were disposed of whereas 72 cases were instituted. At the Peshawar branch registry nine cases were disposed of against 47 cases registered 47 and at Quetta registry 157 cases were disposed of whereas 21 cases were newly registered.

The backlog in the apex court on April 1 was 16,181 cases that were added to by 968 fresh cases instituted during the month ending April 30. Thus the progressive total comes to 17,149 on April 30. Out of this, 2,012 cases stand disposed of during the month of April and now the backlog was 15,137 on May 1.

In April, the ratio of disposal of cases was more than double than that of fresh institution — disposal 2,012 cases against institution of 968 cases.

It is expected that with the current pace of disposal of cases, reduction in the backlog at such proportion will enable to diminish it soon, the press release added.