PESHAWAR, Oct 15: Police have launched restorative justice system in Peshawar and Abbottabad districts to seek out-of-court settlement of the disputes and save people from the lengthy litigation processes.

“In January 2003, Pakistan had backlog of four million court cases, the number would be far more now. In such a situation, the restorative justice system is need of the hour where the offenders, victims and the community resolve the disputes without going to police stations or courts,” said Provincial Police Officer Malik Naveed Khan.

Speaking as chief guest at the inaugural ceremony of the restorative justice system at Police Club on Wednesday, he said that the reconciliatory committee established under the Local Government Ordinance 2001, had successfully resolved 3,997 cases out-of-court in one year.

“Had these cases been registered, these would have burdened police, courts and jails. Out of court settlement saved money of the people and saved time of police and courts,” Mr Khan added. He said that restorative justice system was like a jirga that had traditionally been in use for seeking solution to the disputes for centuries. He added that in the present worsening law and order situation, need for restorative justice system was being direly felt to enable police to focus on the establishment of peace.

“Under the system, committees, comprising elders and elected representatives would be established at the police station level that would be tasked to facilitate dialogue among the victims and offenders for an agreement between them,” he said. He added that presently they were implementing the system in Peshawar and Abbottabad that could be later replicated in all 214 police stations in the province.

Ali Gohar of Justice Peace International, which is implementing the system in collaboration with Asia Foundation, said that restorative justice system had started simultaneously with the advent of the world but faced discontinuation in 12th century when the state claimed that the offenders be tried in the court and it took control of disputes’ resolution.

However, in the wake of the speedy and cheap justice, the system gained currency around the globe, especially in New Zealand, the USA, Middle East and Africa etc where the offenders, victims and community resolved the disputes and the penalty imposed on criminal went to the community’s uplift.

“NWFP is fit for it because the people are accustomed to jirgas which resembled the restorative justice system. In this system, the criminals get constructive punishment,” Mr Ali added.

He said that a mediation room had also been set up at the Police Lines where dialogues among the offenders, victims and community would be facilitated. Zahid Elahi, programme officer of the Asia Foundation, said that his organisation had been working in 17 South Asian countries for peace, women empowerment, improvement of law and order, election monitoring and health since 1958 and was keen to support the provincial police to improve the deteriorating law and order situation.

On the occasion, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by Malik Naveed Khan and the representatives of the Just Peace International and the Asia Foundation regarding the project.