PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan on Wednesday inaugurated the video link facility for the trial of suspected criminals in the Peshawar Central Jail.

The facility, which linked the prison with session courts by a fibre optic cable, is the first of its kind in the country. The jail has 10 video link points.

The inauguration ceremony was held inside the Peshawar Central Jail.

The chief justice, Justice Mussarat Hilali, Justice Ibrahim Khan, Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim and Justice Roohul Amin attended it from the high court premises via video link, while district and sessions judge Ashfaq Taj, inspector general of prisons Saadat Hassan, deputy commissioner of Peshawar Shafiullah Khan and other relevant officials showed up in the person.

PHC CJ, judges witness virtual hearings

The chief justice praised authorities for launching the video link facility from their own resources and said it would help make trials of suspected criminals more effective and secure.

Judge Ashfaq Taj said a fibre optic cable had been laid between the Peshawar Central Jail and session courts for the facility through “fast channel without Internet.”

“The video link facility will ensure the appearance of suspected criminals before judges from the safety of jail premises. It is the first of its kind in the country,” he said.

The judge said the initiative would prove to be a milestone for the provision of safe and speedy justice to the people in the province besides addressing the overcrowding of court premises, prevention of the prisoners’ escape, and murders of prisoners by their enemies.

Senior civil judge of Peshawar Mohibur Rehman said last month, in the pilot phase of the programme, 3,000 prisoners were presented before courts virtually.

He said around 300 prisoners were brought to session courts from the Peshawar Central Jail on a daily basis.

Mr Rehman said transporting those prisoners required police personnel and handcuffs in large numbers but the tally of inmates would come down to 30 daily, while the police personnel freed from the duty of escorting prisoners to the courts would be given other duties.

He said the initiative would help cut expenses incurred on transporting prisoners to and from the jail.

On the occasion, virtual hearings were witnessed by the high court judges.

The launch of the video link facility for court hearings was conceived in Oct last year.

Sources said the facility would save the Peshawar police Rs35 million annually and if it was extended to the entire province, the savings would total Rs5 billion.

They said all sessions courts dealing with criminal cases, including 21 sessions judges, nine judicial magistrates and six family courts, were linked with the video link facility.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2023