• Stresses timely justice as constitutional and moral duty
• Ombudsman suggests quantification of performance through KPIs

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi on Tuesday presided over the tenth interactive progress review meeting at the Supreme Court to assess monthly progress under the Reform Action Plan (RAP).

In line with his vision for a citizen-centric justice system, the CJP also issued directions on key milestones aimed at modernising judicial processes, enhancing insti­tutional efficiency, and strengthening public-facing services.

The meeting was also attended by Naveed Kamran Baloch, Federal Ombudsman of Pakistan (as observer), the Registrar of the Supreme Court, the Secretary of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP), the Director General of the Federal Judicial Academy, and section heads of the Supreme Court.

The meeting reviewed progress on reducing lead time in case disposal, case categorisation, digitisation of records, IT integration, financial digitisation of receipts and expenditures, audit mechanisms, and public facilitation initiatives.

Updates on automation, including software enhancements, QR-coded certified copies, e-courts, capacity-building in data management and analytics, as well as ADR and mediation programmes, were also examined.

During the discussion, the Federal Ombudsman emphasised the need to quantify performance through Key Performance Indi­cators (KPIs) and Disburse­ment Linked Indicators (DLIs) to strengthen monitoring and accountability. It was noted that this task has already been assigned to the Quality Management team and is currently underway.

The chair was informed that, during the last three months, 3,600 cases were instituted while 5,383 cases were disposed of, bringing the total pendency down to 34,083 cases. The CJP appreciated the consistently higher rate of disposal, noting that it reflects improved case management, effective bench constitution, and sustained institutional effort to reduce backlog and ensure timely adjudication of cases. He emphasised that maintaining this momentum is essential to strengthening public confidence in the justice system.

The status of jail petitions and death sentence appeals was also reviewed. It was noted that the pendency of death sentence cases has been reduced from 384 at the time he assumed office (October 2024) to 60 cases. To ensure timely adjudication in matters involving the right to life, it was decided that all pending death sentence appeals would be fixed within the next 30 days. It was further decided that cases instituted up to 2018 would be prioritised to clear the year-wise backlog.

The meeting was informed that case categorisation and the barcoding system for file tracking are underway and expected to be finalised within 30 days. The digitisation of records has largely been completed, while e-payment systems are operational for certified copies and review petitions through the Public Facilitation Centre. ADR and mediation initiatives are also progressing, with standardisation and quality assurance processes targeted for completion by August 30, 2026.

The Public Facilitation Centre is functioning effectively, providing digitally integrated one-window services to litigants and lawyers. Over past three months, approximately 20,802 service requests have been processed, reflecting increased public reliance on streamlined and accessible court services.

Digitised payment systems are currently operational for review petitions and certified copies, significantly reducing time, cost, and procedural complexity for litigants. It was decided that the e-payment facility would be extended to all categories of court fees within one week. The IT team was accordingly directed to further expand online services across court processes to enhance convenience, transparency, and ease of access for stakeholders.

Published in Dawn, April 1st, 2026