ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan, Mr. Yahya Afridi, chaired the tenth interactive progress review meeting at the Supreme Court to assess monthly progress under the Reform Action Plan (RAP), with a focus on improving efficiency and modernising judicial processes.
The meeting was attended by Federal Ombudsman Mr. Naveed Kamran Baloch as an observer, along with the Registrar of the Supreme Court, Secretary of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan, Director General of the Federal Judicial Academy, and other senior officials.
Participants reviewed key areas including reduction in case disposal time, case categorisation, digitisation of records, IT integration, financial digitisation, audit mechanisms, and public facilitation services. Progress on automation initiatives such as software upgrades, QR-coded certified copies, e-courts, and data management systems was also discussed.
During the meeting, Mr. Baloch emphasized the importance of measuring performance through Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and Disbursement Linked Indicators (DLIs) to strengthen accountability and monitoring.
The meeting was informed that over the past three months, 3,600 new cases were filed while 5,383 cases were disposed of, reducing the overall backlog to 34,083 cases. The Chief Justice appreciated the improved disposal rate, attributing it to better case management and institutional efforts, and stressed the need to maintain momentum to enhance public confidence.
Significant progress was also noted in reducing the pendency of death sentence appeals, which declined from 384 cases in October 2024 to 60. It was decided that all remaining cases would be fixed within 30 days, with priority given to cases filed up to 2018.
The meeting further reviewed developments in digitisation, including the near completion of record digitisation, introduction of barcoding systems for file tracking, and operational e-payment systems for certified copies and review petitions. It was decided to extend e-payment facilities to all court fee categories within one week.
The Public Facilitation Centre was reported to be functioning effectively, having processed over 20,800 service requests in the past three months, reflecting increased public reliance on streamlined and accessible court services.
The Chief Justice directed further expansion of digital services and reinforced the commitment to a citizen-centric justice system that is efficient, transparent, and accessible.
