May 25, 2008	Sunday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 19, 1429

NAUSHAHRO FEROZE, May 24: Lawyers must cooperate with judges for quick disposal of thousands of cases pending in civil courts, said Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, while addressing bar members and judges in District Court Complex Naushahro Feroze on Saturday.

He said heavy backlog of cases pending at every tier of judiciary was a matter of concern as these cannot be left unattended. “We should find out a method of handling the backlog as these did not emerge overnight rather in decades because of rising population and litigation trend among people to resolve their disputes,” he said.

“On an average, one civil judge has more than 4,000 cases with nearly 150-200 on daily cause list”, the CJP said and added: “Staff of the court of civil judge or an additional district and sessions judge consists of three to four people.”

He asked the judges to exchange views on issues confronting courts and ways to find solution within the stipulated framework which will go a long way in lessening the burden of litigants.

The government had with the assistance of Asian Development Bank launched ‘Access to Justice Programme, envisaging inter alia construction of new buildings and provision of necessary equipment to courts few years back, he said.

Chief Justice thanked office-bearers of the Naushahro Feroze District Bar Association for inviting him to perform foundation stone laying ceremony of the new bar room premises and expressed delight over being with the community members.

He said that he had asked the federal government to provide funds for construction of bar rooms wherever needed and renovate and upgrade the existing ones.

There was a dire need of funds to construct and maintain libraries with computers and internet facilities for creating research environment, Doagr said.

He said residential problems of lawyers need to be resolved on priority basis. Bar associations may chalk out programme of housing society, while federal and provincial government will be contacted to provide funds for land, water, sanitation, electrification, and gas facilities, said the CJP.

He announced Rs300,000 each for Naushahro Feroze and Moro and Rs200,000 each for Taluka Bar Kandiaro and Bhirya city. He said that he will direct the Chief Justice Sindh High Court to provide funds for construction of Taluka Bar Moro and other court rooms damaged in December 2007 riots.

He announced of plans to double salaries of judges in near future, with lawyers from Naushahro Feroze to be taken as high court judges on merit.

Presently, there were 70 vacancies for judges and will be filled soon to dispose off pending cases, he said adding about 80,000 cases were pending in Lahore and 60,000 in Sindh High courts.

The Sindh High Court Chief Justice, Azizullah Memon said that he was working to provide facilities to courts and bar rooms.