July 06, 2008	Sunday	Rajab 2, 1429

RAWALPINDI, July 5: Corruption cases are piling up without any headway as there had been no special judge anti-corruption for the last two and a half months in the Rawalpindi division after the judge was transferred on April 17.

Special Judge Anti-Corruption Khalid Shabir was transferred to Rahim Yar Khan by the Lahore High Court as a district and sessions judge and since then no new judge has been appointed.

There are different claims about the number of pending cases. According to an official of the anti-corruption court, some 150 cases are pending with the court, whereas a lawyer told this reporter that more 500 cases were laying without trials.

In the situation, the litigants are being given new dates. The corruption cases are heard in the court from all four districts of Rawalpindi, Attock, Chakwal and Jhelum.

Civil Judge Afzal Saqib has been looking after only the new cases as he can just give or extend both physical and judicial remands. Only a special judge for anti-corruption can conduct trial or grant bail to the accused, said a seasoned lawyer Asad Abbasi.

He said the special judge had the powers equivalent to that of a judge of high court as he heard the cases form the whole division.

The lawyer said, according to law, the special court should not adjourn the hearing for more than two days.

There are no proceedings at all at the moment whereas the investigation officer should complete the investigation in 14 days and submit report to the court, he added.

He said the court could also initiate cases against any public servant involved in taking unlawful gratification, valuable things, fraudulently misappropriating property or money.

Any citizen can complain against any misuse of authority and the complainant himself can be a witness in the case, he added.