No 'understanding' between CJ, govt over NRO

ISLAMABAD - Registrar Supreme Court of Pakistan Faqir Hussain Friday rejected the impression that there was any understanding between the chief justice and the government over the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).
Addressing a press conference here at the Supreme Court building, SC Registrar also said that the controversial ordinance had not come under discussion between the Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and President Asif Ali Zardari during their recently held meeting, adding the meeting was just in context of the oath-taking ceremony of chief justice of Federal Shariat Court.
In response to a query, Hussain said that the recent meeting of foreign diplomats with Chief Justice Chaudhry took place through the Foreign Office. He further stated that the chief justice had directed the high courts to take strict action against those judges about whom complaints of misconduct and corruption had been received in the Supreme Courts Cell set up for the purpose.
Ten or so complaints have so far been received from the high courts which have been forwarded to the chief justice, Hussain informed after insistence by the journalists, as earlier he appeared to be ignorant of the number of complaints received. He further said that the chief justice had directed the respective high courts to look into these complaints and take action accordingly.
He also confirmed that complaints against former chief justice of Islamabad High Court Justice Muhammad Bilal was pending before the Supreme Judicial Council.
The SC Registrar who is also Secretary National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee informed that the courts had disposed of 330,122 cases across the country after the implementation of National Judicial Policy-2009. 1,650,005 cases were pending before the courts by June 30, he further informed.
He said that the SC decided 2,932 cases during the month of June, thus reducing the backlog to 17,380 cases by June 30. The Federal Shariat Court disposed of 116 cases during June while 1,996 cases were still pending before the FSC.
Giving details of cases decided and pending before the high courts and sub-ordinate judiciary, Hussain said that 91,006 cases were pending before the Lahore High Court after deciding 28,803 cases. 1,226,906 cases are pending before the sub-ordinate judiciary in Punjab while the courts disposed of 241,728 cases after the implementation of the National Judicial Policy.
Sindh High Court disposed of 1,338 cases during June, thus leaving the backlog of 24,570 cases, the Registrar informed. The sub-ordinate courts in Sindh disposed of 20,155 cases during June, while 139,536 cases were still pending before the lower courts in Sindh.
He said the Peshawar High Court decided 2,066 cases while the backlog stood at 11,761 cases. The lower courts of NWFP have yet to decide 1,24,877 cases as against the 26,957 cases disposed off in the month of June.
During the same period, the High Court of Balochistan disposed of 489 cases while 3,926 cases were still pending before the court. The sub-ordinate judiciary in the province had 8,077 cases pending before it after disposing of 5,820 cases.
Hussain further informed that all judicial officers deputed in other government departments had been repatriated to the respective courts.