ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi on Thursday stressed the overriding importance of transparency in public institutions, stating that financial discipline and regular audits are fundamental to ensuring accountable and effective governance. He chaired the eighth interactive progress review session at the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The session was attended by Justice Mohammad Ali Mazhar, Chairman, National Judicial Automation Committee (NJAC), and senior officials, technical experts and section heads to assess monthly progress under the Reform Action Plan (RAP) and to issue directions on pending initiatives and upcoming milestones. Registrar Supreme Court, Director General (Reforms), IT Adviser Hamayun Zafar, section heads of the Supreme Court and others also attended the session.
During the briefing, the CJP reviewed the substantive progress achieved under the reform framework. He also examined updates on case disposal, case categorisation, record digitisation, IT integration, financial controls, audit mechanisms and public facilitation initiatives. He noted with satisfaction that case categorisation is underway, and that more than 12,600 records have been digitised out of the targeted 61,900, with the remaining work expected to be completed within the stipulated timeline.
He kicked off the standardisation and quality assurance process and also reviewed progress on automation, including software enhancements, improved IT integration and QR-coded certified copies.
Similarly, the public facilitation component was reviewed in detail and the CJP acknowledged improvements in the system for receiving calls and complaints, as well as the proactive outreach mechanism through which citizens are contacted for feedback. Progress on ADR and mediation initiatives, and updates on performance and security audits were also presented.
Underscoring the importance of transparency, the chief justice reiterated that financial discipline and regular audits are essential to accountable institutional governance. He directed all departments to accelerate outstanding tasks ahead of the next review meeting, stressing that sustained and measurable progress is vital for maintaining public trust in the judiciary.
