ISLAMABAD, July 7: The three high courts in Punjab, the NWFP and Balochistan decided less number of cases during 2004 compared to 2002 figures, while the subordinate judiciary disposed of slightly higher number of cases during the same period. According to the Third Quarter Progress Report of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) 2004-05, the Lahore High Court (LHC) decided only 54 per cent of cases submitted to it in 2004 compared to 60 per cent in 2002. The LHC decided 78,714 cases out of a total of 144,713 in 2004 compared to 99,141 cases out of 164,826 in 2002.

But the sessions and civil courts in the province cleared of slightly higher number of cases during the period.

As many as 342,911 sessions cases were decided out of a total of 420,728 in 2004, while 927,899 civil and criminal cases were disposed of out of 1.8 million.

The number of cases disposed of by the Balochistan High Court also decreased from 6,000 in 2002 to less than 3,000 in 2004.

The subordinate judiciary in the province disposed of 21,870 cases in 2004 out of 29,206 cases against 22,219 out of 27,354 in 2002.

In the district courts of the NWFP, the percentage of the cases disposed of increased to 72 in 2004 from 66 in 2002 as 401,773 cases were decided in 2004 out of a total of 555,304.

In the Peshawar High Court, the percentage of the cases decided declined to 54 in 2004 from 64 in 2002. The court decided 12,432 cases in 2004 out of a total of 23,012 against 19,631 cases out of 30,510 in 2002.

The third quarterly progress report said the judiciary was an important pillar of the state and that the government fully respected courts. The government also intends to leave no stone unturned to ensure dispensation of cheaper justice to people, it said.

It said the government would provide all facilities for augmentation of judicial system and its promotion so that people could get speedy justice.