After holding extensive discussions on a range of issues, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Supreme Court Bar Association of Pakistan (SCBAP) concluded the meeting with emphasis on economic and political stability, which is crucial to boost judicial efficiency.
A meeting between the SCBAP President Mian Muhammad Rauf Atta and the IMF mission was held in Islamabad on Monday with an agenda to discuss issues such as judicial efficiency, contract enforcement, and property rights protection.
On the occasion, the presidents of the High Court Bar Associations of Balochistan and Sindh, Mir Atta Ullah Langove and Barrister Sarfraz Metlo, respectively, were also present.
The meeting, which lasted for more than an hour, covered several issues, particularly the issue of judicial efficiency, which appears to be one of the core concerns of the mission.
The mission also shared its concerns regarding contract enforcement and property rights issues, which directly affect foreign investments. In this context, the President SCBAP provided a detailed and factual response to the mission’s queries.
The SCBAP president, while recognising the importance of judicial efficiency, viewed that for a vibrant and independent judicial system, judicial efficiency is one of the basic prerequisites.
Atta apprised the mission that two important efforts are currently being made to enhance judicial efficiency, one on the judicial side and the other on the legislative side.
On the judicial side, he apprised the mission of the initiatives taken by the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) aimed at improving judicial efficiency, such as the introduction of an e-filing system replacing the orthodox filing system, revamping the case management system, expeditious disposal of pending cases, and the introduction of video link facilities in the Supreme Court.
“All these initiatives are directed toward improving judicial efficiency and eliminating hurdles in the process. Additionally, efforts are being made to introduce the same initiatives in the higher and subordinate judiciary,” he stated.
He also apprised the mission that the recently introduced 26th Constitutional Amendment was made with the aim of improving judicial independence, enabling the judicial system to work more efficiently and effectively.
It was reiterated that under the amendment, a constitutional bench has been formed to address more complex, high-profile political and constitutional cases so as to save time of the court for regular work without interruption.
Besides that, an institutional system to check the performance of judges is already functioning.
The mission was also informed about other initiatives aimed at enhancing judicial efficiency, such as increasing the number of expert judges not only in the Supreme Court but also in the high courts, the introduction of a number of tribunals, especially in tax matters, and the creation of forums to resolve complex issues through Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) initiatives, ensuring that justice is served effectively at the grassroots level.
Regarding the issues of contract enforcement, the mission was apprised that, albeit with delays due to procedural inefficiencies, the government is trying its level best to provide a conducive environment to attract and secure direct foreign investment, and specialised courts and benches are being introduced to adjudicate these matters.
Additionally, it was mentioned that Articles 23 and 24 of the Constitution deal with the right to own property, and efforts are being made to strengthen anti-encroachment laws and enforcement mechanisms.
The meeting concluded with both sides agreeing that the recipe to resolve all the aforesaid issues lies in economic and political stability and good governance, with the SCBAP president describing the rule of law as the cornerstone.
In this context, a questionnaire containing queries related to the aforesaid matters will be shared with this association by the mission, followed by a detailed response along with proposals and suggestions to be made by the other side.
