PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court Chief Justice S M Attique Shah said here on Monday that providing speedy justice to litigants was their top priority and they were talking drastic measures to strengthen district judiciary for provision of transparent and swift justice to people.

He highlighted the overall disposal rate in the high court and district judiciary, stating that as of July 31, the high court disposed of 23,326 cases reducing the pendency from 39,073 to 36,702.

He said that district judiciary also disposed of 52,783 cases, reducing the pendency of cases from 263,437 to 223,419, which clearly indicated significant improvement in the disposal rate of cases. However, he added that more efforts were being made to reduce the burden of cases.

PHC Chief Justice Attique Shah was addressing the first-ever judicial year opening ceremony. The ceremony was attended by senior puisne judge Justice Ijaz Anwar, judges of high court, president of PHC Bar Association Aminur Rehman Yousafzai, Additional Attorney General Sanaullah Khan, KP Advocate General Shah Faisal Uthmankhel, Vice-chairman of KP Bar Council Ahmad Farooq Khattak, chairman of KP Service Tribunal, director general and dean of KP Judicial Academy, district and sessions judge, judges of special courts and tribunals, members of legal fraternity and others.

First-ever ceremony held in high court to mark start of new judicial year

The event marked the commencement of a new judicial tradition, aimed at reaffirming the judiciary’s collective resolve to provide inexpensive and expeditious justice, to reflect on achievements of the past year, and to deliberate upon the future course of action for strengthening the justice system.

While recognising the integral role of other stakeholders including police, prosecution and prisons in the justice system, the PHC chief justice also highlighted infrastructure development, strengthening of research wing, adoption of technology, court automation, case flow management information system (CFMIS), establishment of alternate dispute resolution (ADR) courts, induction of judges including 10 additional judges in PHC and 22 new additional district and sessions judges in district judiciary, and capacity building through KP Judicial Academy.

He noted that this was the first such ceremony in the history of PHC, signifying both a milestone and a renewal of commitment to justice. He announced the launch of a five-year strategic plan (2025-2030) for accelerated disposal of backlog cases, solarisation of courts and bar rooms, infrastructure development, induction of judges and introduction of a fully integrated e-filing system, AI-driven legal research, and decision-support tools.

“Our mission is noble and our cause is sacred: to deliver justice under all circumstances, without fear or favour, affection or ill-will,” he said.

The PHC chief justice said that various committees had also been formed in the high court to resolve litigants’ issues promptly. He stated that timely justice couldn’t be delivered by courts alone and judicial system couldn’t improve without the cooperation of bar associations and legal community.

“Additionally, we are encouraging alternative dispute resolution (ADR) system for swift resolution of cases, as this system facilitates provision of prompt justice,” he said.

PHC Chief Justice Attique Shah said that under National Judicial Policy 2009, revised in 2025, discussions had been held with police, prosecution and jail authorities regarding timely submission of charge sheets and appearance of witnesses.

“Furthermore, the budget allocated for courts has been significantly increased, which includes construction of new judicial complexes, modern facilities for lawyers and establishment of bar rooms for women lawyers,” he said, adding that filing of cases was being computerised according to modern requirements and litigants could easily check the status of their cases from home.

In his address, Aminur Rehman Yousafzai said that the observance of judicial year opening was a solemn tradition practiced in developed countries and in Supreme Court of Pakistan. He stressed the need for timely, independent and accessible justice.

AAG Sanaullah highlighted the role of judiciary and responsibility of law officers, urging adoption of technology in judicial reforms and greater coordination among bench, bar and government.

Ahmad Farooq Khattak appreciated measures of high court for effective case disposal and suggested use of technology, filling of judicial vacancies and improving facilitation for both courts and bar.

Shah Faisal Utmankhel acknowledged the judiciary as guardian of rights and freedoms. He underscored the need to discourage adjournments, resist delaying tactics and avoid overburdening courts with unnecessary litigation.

Published in Dawn, September 9th, 2025