THE Supreme Court (SC) has established a dedicated Anti-Corruption Hotline to strengthen its commitment to accountability and removing hurdles in expeditious justice to the public.
This Anti-Corruption Hotline has been developed with a focus on key characteristics that ensure its effectiveness and it provides a secure and confidential platform to the complainants to report incidents of graft, favouritism or any form of corrupt practices without fear of retaliation.
This initiative of the Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi can revolutionize the working of the apex court if implemented in letter and spirit and is part of a series of reforms he has already undertaken or intends to introduce to ensure transparency and efficiency of the top court.
Corruption is the root cause of a multitude of ills in our society, therefore, transparency in the higher judiciary will pave the way for truly merit-based judgements, which can change the entire landscape of the judicial system.
The new system has the necessary elements of privacy, secrecy and efficiency and it is now for the general public, especially litigants to demonstrate courage in pinpointing instances of corruption and unfair practices.
This is because the hotline is accessible through multiple channels, including phone, online portal, email and text messages and supports communication in Urdu and English.
It operates 24/7, allowing citizens to report incidents at any time, ensuring inclusivity and ease of access.
All the complaints submitted are overseen independently by an impartial official reporting directly to the Chief Justice, maintaining transparency and objectivity throughout the process.
A reasonable timeframe of 30 days for simple cases and 60 days for complex cases has been envisaged for investigation and resolution of the complaints.
We hope similar hotlines will be established by high courts besides evolution of a mechanism for reporting and resolving similar complaints at the district level.
