PHC chief justice hints at expansion of ‘double docket courts’ to more districts
PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court on Monday formally commenced the judicial year 2026-27 at a ceremony held at its principal seat in the provincial capital, reaffirming its commitment to a justice system that is accessible, transparent, technology-enabled and responsive to the needs of citizens. A statement issued here said that the ceremony was attended by Chief Justice Peshawar High Court S.M…
Peshawar High Court commenced the 2026-27 judicial year with a ceremony that highlighted its commitment to an accessible, transparent, and technology-enabled justice system. Chief Justice S.M Attique Shah emphasized that success cannot be measured solely by disposal figures, but rather by implementation and reaching those seeking justice.
The court reduced its pending cases from 38,060 to 34,450 during the previous year, while it instituted 34,857 new cases and disposed of 38,467, leaving a disposal exceeding institution ratio of 3,610 cases.
District judiciary also showed impressive efficiency, disposing of a higher number of cases compared to the ones instituted. In the period between September 2025 and June 2026, 93,281 civil cases, 170,555 criminal cases, 13,215 family cases, 617 rent cases, and 14,987 narcotics cases were disposed of. Additionally, 5,566 execution petitions were processed.
The PHC chief justice unveiled a focus on transforming case disposal to active, quality-oriented case management through a civil litigation backlog clearance initiative. This initiative involved color-coded monitoring of cases according to their age and procedural stage, and the establishment of model civil courts and district courts in selected districts.
Model civil courts and district courts were established in selected districts, alongside strengthening the civil adjudication coordination committee and provincial bench-bar liaison committee.
The PHC chief justice also spoke about the potential of expanding the 'double docket courts' model to other districts based on caseload, local needs, and available resources. During January to August 2026, witness attendance in criminal trials reached 89 percent, while 96 percent of witnesses were examined by courts. A pilot digitization project was launched in four courts of Peshawar district, focusing on transforming manual court registers into digital records.
KP Bar Council vice-chairperson Asfandyar Khan stressed the importance of a strong bench-bar relationship and advocated for online filing, efficient case fixation, professional training, and improved facilities for litigants and lawyers.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn - Pakistan's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
