ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Asif Saeed Khosa said on Friday that the initiative of model courts had instilled a new willingness into the masses to repose confidence in the institution of the judiciary, which otherwise had been blamed for undue delays.

Speaking at the award distribution ceremony of the Model Criminal Trial Courts (MCTC) at the Supreme Court building, he said that the model courts had materialised the vision of expeditious and inexpensive justice as envisaged in Article 37(d) of the Constitution.

Dispensation of justice was a dream before establishment of the model courts in the country, the chief justice said, adding that efforts, devotion and commitment on the part of the MCTC judges had turned the dream of speedy and inexpensive justice into reality and litigants were getting prompt relief.

The credit went to the judges who had rejuvenated the ailing judicial system under existing and available resources and without any amendments to the related law, he observed.

Awards distributed among model court judges for deciding maximum number of cases

During the ceremony, the chief justice was told that 12,584 murder and narcotics cases had been decided in about five months by 167 model courts set up across the country to conduct swift trials.

Chief Justice Khosa appreciated the services rendered by the model court judges for this glorious national cause and distributed awards among the MCTC judges for deciding maximum number of cases.

Amongst position holders were Sohail Nasir, district and sessions judge (DSJ) of Islamabad-West, who earned five distinctions by securing first position in the country in murder category and third position in joint murder and narcotics category.

From Balochistan, Munir Ahmed Mari, DSJ of Loralai; Zafar Jaan, additional sessions judge (ASJ) of Barkhan; Asadullah Kakar, ASJ of Dera Murad Jamali; Tahir Humayun, ASJ of Gwadar; Zafarullah Khan Bazai, DSJ of Quetta; Rahim Dad Khilji, ASJ of Dalbandin; Nouroz Khan Hoth, ASJ of Dera Bugti; Inayatullah Kakar, ASJ of Harnai; Sadullah Khan Bazai, DSJ of Kalat; Alamgir Khan Hotak, ASJ of Kohlu; Allah Dad Roshan, DSJ of Noshki; Mohammed Anwar Mohammad Shai, ASJ of Panjgur; Mohammed Rafiq, DSJ of Turbat; and Barkat Ali Marghazani, ASJ of Ziarat, earned distinction.

From Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Arbab Sohail Hamid, ASJ of Charsadda; Zainab Rahman, ASJ of Abbottabad; Nadia Syed, ASJ of Mardan; Mohammad Zaib Khan, ASJ of Swabi; Usman Wali, ASJ of Dera Ismail Khan; and Syed Anees Badshah Bukhari, DSJ of Kohistan Lower; received awards.

From Punjab, Farhan Mudassar, ASJ of Sargodha; Mohammed Wajid Minhas, ASJ of Kasur; Raja Shahid Zameer, ASJ of Rawalpindi; Ghulam Shabbir Hussain, ASJ of Jhelum; Raja Mohammed Ajmal Khan, ASJ of Mianwali; and Chaudhry Zia Ullah, ASJ of Sheikhupura; earned honours.

From Sindh, Naveed Ahmed Soomro, ASJ of Karachi (Malir); Liaquat Ali Khoso, ASJ of Karachi (Central); Ghulam Qadir Tunio, ASJ of Kambar-Shahdadkot; Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah, DSJ of Tando Muhammad Khan; Halim Ahmed, ASJ of Karachi (East); and Shayam Lal Ladhani, ASJ of Larkana; received awards.

Published in Dawn, August 31st, 2019