ISLAMABAD (MNN); The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Wednesday resolved to dispose of all pending death sentence appeals within the next 45 days as part of wide-ranging judicial reforms to ensure speedy justice.
The decision was taken during a judicial reforms meeting chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi, where the monthly progress under the Reform Action Plan was thoroughly reviewed.
During the meeting, participants were briefed on the status of death penalty cases and criminal jail appeals. Officials informed that since October 26, 2024, a total of 172 new death sentence appeals had been filed, while 449 such appeals had been decided in the same period.
It was shared that when Chief Justice Yahya Afridi assumed office, 384 death penalty appeals were pending before the apex court. This number has now been reduced significantly to 107.
The meeting decided that all remaining death penalty appeals would be taken up and concluded within 45 days. Timelines for the disposal of life imprisonment appeals will be determined after the completion of death sentence cases.
The participants also agreed that jail petitions submitted by convicted prisoners aged 80 years and above would be given priority for hearing.
Officials further informed the meeting that the categorisation of cases would be completed within the next two months, while a barcoding system to track case files would be finalised within 15 days. The court was also told that most judicial records had already been digitised.
Addressing the meeting, Chief Justice Yahya Afridi said that the timely delivery of justice was not only a constitutional duty but also a moral obligation. He added that the ongoing judicial reforms were aimed at providing swift and effective justice to the public.
