PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim inaugurated the first specially designated court for resolution of inheritance cases here in the Judicial Complex, terming disposal of such cases a major challenge for the judiciary.

The PHC chief justice said that a substantial backlog of inheritance cases currently existed and establishment of special courts was a key step towards addressing the issue. He said that such like courts would also be set up in other areas at divisional level and subsequently would be extended to district and tehsil levels.

Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim said that a special bench would also be constituted in the high court for deciding inheritance cases.

In the inauguration ceremony, he was accompanied by Peshawar district and sessions judge Inamullah Khan Wazir, PHC registrar Barrister Ikhtiar Khan, additional registrar Mamrez Khan, other judicial officers and lawyers etc.

PHC chief justice says such courts to be extended to other areas as well

The PHC Chief Justice hoped that such specially designated courts would prove a milestone for provision of speedy and cheap justice to litigants. He said that such courts were need of the hour as those would help in resolving disputes related to inheritance of properties pending for many years.

He also dilated on the problems faced by women in getting their share in inheritance in a patriarchal society, stating that being a vulnerable segment of the society they had to face multiple hurdles in getting their due property rights.

He said when females were deprived by their male family members of their property rights through deception and other means, then they had to get their due share through long civil litigations.

PHC Chief Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim said that delay in disposal of such cases, which sometimes spanned over decades, amounted to depriving someone of justice. He called upon the presidents and other office-bearers of PHC Bar Association and Peshawar Bar Association to create awareness among people about functioning of the special court.

Apart from an experienced and senior civil judge, specially trained and experienced staff including process servers and bailiffs etc would be deputed in those courts for speedy and efficient disposal of cases.

Similarly, representatives of district administration and revenue department would also be assigned to the court for expeditious production of relevant revenue record related to inheritance.

Moreover, a centre for alternative dispute resolution (ADR) will also be set up in the special court. The court will also be attached with Nadra’s digital verification system so that succession related verification could be easily done.

Published in Dawn, February 5th, 2025