ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi on Friday visited the Bannu bench of the Peshawar High Court to express his solidarity with judges working in challenging environment and emphasised that the independence and safety of judges, particularly of the district judiciary, were essential for fair and effective delivery of justice.

During the visit, the CJP met Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court (PHC), S. M. Attique Shah, and held detailed discussions on institutional capacity building for both the judiciary and the legal fraternity.

The CJP also engaged with judges of the Peshawar High Court, members of the district judiciary including Karak, Bannu, Lakki and North Waziristan and representatives of the legal community posted in Bannu.

Key deliberations centred around the agenda of the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee (NJPMC), with particular emphasis on institutional synergy, judicial capacity enhancement and legal education reforms.

These priorities were reiterated and thoroughly discussed with members of the judiciary and the bar.

Topics included the importance of addressing commercial litigation and a proposal for establishing a dedicated Commercial Litigation Corridor; the introduction of Double Docket Courts as an optional feature involving cooperation among parties, the bench, and the bar; the expansion of court-annexed mediation; and the revival of Model Criminal Courts to address delayed cases.

Published in Dawn, May 17th, 2025