PESHAWAR: Pakistan officials have begun offering mediation in a mobile courtroom to test whether it can help clear clogged courts. The courtroom-on-a-bus will mediate small civil cases, minor criminal cases and juvenile cases, Hayat Ali Shah, head of the provincial judicial academy, said yesterday. Cases can drag on for decades in Pakistan — 1.4m lawsuits are pending in courts. The mobile court heard 29 cases in its wood panelled courtroom on its first day on Tuesday. It freed juveniles from jail, heard property disputes and imposed small fines. “I got justice within 10 minutes. My case had been pending for past six months in the court of the civil judge,” property dealer Adnan Khan said.
Rail route to Murree?
ISLAMABAD: Residents of Islamabad had long been dreaming of a decent bus service. But they better switch to dreaming of a rail link to Murree, for that is the new buzzword in the Capital Development Authority. Unfortunately, no official was willing to elaborate on the buzzword on record, although CDA spokesman Dr Naeem Rauf did concede that “the project is in a very nascent stage.”
No cut in flour price
LAHORE: The price of flour in Pakistan is unlikely to come down despite the government allowing import of wheat. Consumer should brace for high prices at a time when the release of wheat from official warehouses usually helps stabilise prices, sources said, adding consumers should not expect any reduction in the price of wheat, especially flour, despite the import of fairly large quantities at lower prices. About 300,000 tonnes of wheat is reaching markets and about 50,000 tonnes will reach city ports in 10 days, sources added.
Prisoners’ exchange
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan yesterday approved signing of the exchange of prisoners’ treaty with the US and Europe to enable Islamabad to seek repatriation of Pakistanis imprisoned there. Pakistan had been negotiating agreement on the transfer of prisoners with more than 20 countries. Officials earlier said the US had called on Pakistan to sign a Council of Europe convention on the transfer of prisoners or convicts.
Aencies
