KARACHI: Most of the 65 special courts and tribunals established in Sindh have recorded a high acquittal rate during the last year, it emerged on Sunday.

The 65 special courts and tribunals include antiterrorism, provincial anti-corruption, anti-encroachment, control of narcotic substances (CNS) and drugs courts as well as environmental protection and intellectual property tribunals.

These courts are set up by the federal and provincial governments to try persons involved in committing offences punishable under special laws.

The conviction rate in four anti-corruption courts is only 9pc

The provincial government has set-up 53 special ATCs (31 in Karachi and 22 in ten other cities), four anti-corruption courts (one each in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Larkana), three anti-encroachment courts (one each in Karachi, Hyderabad and Sukkur) and one environmental protection tribunal in Karachi.

According to the official statistics, collected by the Dawn from judicial and prosecution sources, the 53 ATCs decided 3,160 cases till the end of November 2018 while 1,678 new cases were instituted and the total backlog stood at 3,213 cases.

The conviction rate stood at around 15 per cent, as the courts convicted accused in 467 cases. The acquittal was recorded at 86pc as the accused in 2,693 cases were acquitted due to lack of evidence by the prosecuting agencies, including police and Rangers.

Anti-corruption courts

While last year witnessed much debates and hype in relation to the nationwide crackdown on corruption and money laundering, the four provincial anti-corruption courts failed to achieve encouraging results with regard to the prosecution of officers in the provincial bureaucracy as per their mandate.

With 9pc conviction rate, two of the four anti-corruption courts convicted the accused in only 11 cases during the 11 months, according to the figures.

The acquittal rate remained at 92pc, as the accused in 127 cases were acquitted due to failure of the Anti-Corruption Establish­ment in proving its cases.

The court had the backlog of 92 cases, including 19 new cases.

Karachi’s anti-corruption court decided 75 cases (66 acquittals and only nine convictions); Sukkur’s court decided 33 cases (31 acquittals and only two conviction); Hyderabad’s court decided only three cases, acquitting all the accused; Larkana’s anti-corruption court decided 27 cases, also acquitting all the accused.

Anti-encroachment courts

The three anti-encroachments courts recorded 100pc acquittal rate, as only one court in Karachi decided nine cases in all.

The statistics suggested that from Jan 1 to Nov 30, 2018 the Karachi’s anti-encroachment court decided only nine cases in which all the accused were acquitted. Four new cases were instituted, while the lone functional court had a backlog of 23 cases.

The figures showed not a single case was pending trial before the courts in Hyderabad and Sukkur, respectively.

Tribunals

The lone environmental protection tribunal at Karachi also recorded a zero per cent conviction rate. The statistics suggested that the tribunal had decided three cases and had acquitted accused in all cases. Ten new cases were instituted in the tribunal and it had the backlog of 18 cases.

Similarly, the lone intellectual property tribunal, set up in Karachi, decided 32 cases. It convicted accused in eight cases while those nominated in 24 remaining cases were acquitted as the prosecuting agencies could not prove charges.

Seven new cases were instituted in the tribunal and an equal number of the cases was pending trial.

Narcotics courts

A drugs court in Karachi, the lone such facility for the entire province, decided six cases, the statistics showed.

However, the acquittal rate in the special court remained 100pc, as all the accused were acquitted. With zero percent conviction rate, the court had 66 cases pending trial by the end of November 2018.

Two special control of narcotic substances (CNS) courts, both in Karachi, decided 706 cases in the 11 months.

The statistics showed that the conviction rate remained well over 90pc, as both the courts convicted accused in 641 cases. The accused in 65 cases were acquitted.

Over 3,100 new cases were instituted in the two courts from all over the province. There was a backlog of 7,197 cases.

Published in Dawn, January 28th, 2019