ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi has said that all judges of the Supreme Court are working in cordial environment, adding that “gone are days when the judges took positions against each other”.
CJP Afridi stated this while talking to members of the Press Association of the SC who called on him Monday at the top court’s premises in the federal capital.
Commenting on the internal affairs of the SCP, the CJP said nobody desired to impose his thinking on others and the judges were moving forward with collective wisdom.
The top judges said the media was free to criticise judges and judgments but criticism should be constructive and for a better cause.
All judges are independent and none of them should be “bracketed”.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi in a group photo with a delegations Press Association of the SC on January 13, 2025. — Website/Supremecourt.gov.pk
Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi in a group photo with a delegations Press Association of the SC on January 13, 2025. — Website/Supremecourt.gov.pk
Speaking about the pendency of cases, the CJP said that disposal of over 8,000 cases in a short period of time at the Supreme Court is an achievement.
He said still he felt embarrassed to hear inmates in various jails are complaining about the prolonged litigation without conclusion but assured that the ongoing process of reforms in judicial system will reduce cases backlog significantly.
CJP Afridi briefed the press association on his reforms’ agenda, saying that through the active use of IT, every litigant will be kept updated about all orders and developments in his case through email and WhatsApp.
Moving in the right direction and through better case management, we are going to reduce the backlog significantly and shortly, the CJP said.
The CJP added that the district judiciary works under the high courts and the Supreme Court doesn’t interfere in their affairs.
“I have great respect for the high court and the district judiciary,” he said.
Regarding the ongoing process of judicial reforms, the CJP said that soon there will be a proper mechanism for fixing of urgent petitions. Special benches are to be constituted for tax and criminal cases while free legal aid for deserving litigant will be provided on district level.
About the Supreme Judicial Commission, the CJP said that proceedings against a few judges are underway in the SJC.
He admired Justice Mansoor Ali Shah for his contribution to Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) system and said that soon ADR will be introduced in Islamabad while in the rest of the country with the passage of time.
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