PESHAWAR // Sweat pours down Judge Fazal Wadood's back as he sits perched behind a desk inside a custom-built green bus that is the latest weapon in the battle against Taliban influence in Pakistan.
The US$98,000 (Dh360,000) vehicle, the striped awnings of which make it more reminiscent of a giant fast food van than an arm of the state, allows Mr Wadood to preside over Pakistan's first mobile court.
Boasting a portrait of Pakistan's founding father Muhammad Ali Jinnah and an air conditioner that struggles to fend off the intense summer heat, the bus is designed to go directly to the people, resolving their daily disputes in some of the most remote and dangerous parts of the country.
The aim is to cut down the backlog of cases in ordinary courts dating back years, a situation that has bred frustration, fuelled support for the Taliban and increased calls for Sharia at the expense of the government.
It is part of a $15 million project - 25 per cent bankrolled by the government in the north-west and the rest by international donors - to strengthen the judicial system and state institutions.
Musarat Shah, 72, a widower locked in a five-year land dispute, is one of the first on board the bus, which has the white crescent and star of the Pakistani flag emblazoned on its side.
"Justice delayed is justice denied," says Mr Shah, furious with the slow pace of the regular court system.
"Multiple commissions were held. One commission finished and demanded another commission, and it was taking us nowhere."
Mr Wadood summons a group of mediators, who agree to go off and inspect his land, then sets another hearing for a week's time.
Mr Shah, exhausted and slightly baffled, appears to reserve judgement on whether the new court would help.
The bus has been set up by the high court in the north-western province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - where a six-year Taliban insurgency is concentrated - and the UN Development Programme.
"Strengthening the judicial system and the legitimacy of state institutions is one of the main ways to counter the influence of non-state actors," says Marc-Andre Franche, the head of UNDP in Pakistan.
Eight judges and 18 lawyers have been trained in conflict resolution to find quick solutions in simple cases that risk dragging on for years, clogging up the creaking judicial system.
On one day, with the bus stationary in a car park in the Hayatabad suburb of Peshawar, Mr Wadood, together with a registrar and stenographer tapping away on a laptop, handles nearly 30 cases.
"Our work is speedy mediation between two parties in property conflict, family problems and other problems we face in daily life," says Mohammed Osman Khan, the chairman of the arbitration council.
But the mobile court faces major challenges if it is to succeed and authorities are to decide whether it is worth rolling out further courtroom buses.
One is the jirga system, traditional gatherings of tribal elders who typically mediate similar disputes at a local level.
Human rights organisations criticise their decisions as arbitrary, which, for example, can include women being given away in marriage.
Hayat Ali Shah, the director of the judicial academy in Peshawar, believes the two systems can operate side by side.
A civil litigation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa "comes to the court only when jirga and all efforts have failed, so hopefully there will be no competition", he says.
He is enthusiastic that the bus initiative can take off.
"If you plant a beautiful tree in your lawn and it produces very fine fruits, so everybody living in the neighbourhood will request a branch to plant in his lawn. So if this bus gives good results, I hope we will have many other buses", says Mr Shah.
But it is unclear how many villagers will opt for the mobile bus rather than the traditional jirga system, and, if so, how quickly.
The other major complication is security. So far, the mobile court has limited its work to the suburbs of Peshawar. Even there, an armed police escort is necessary.
Taliban-led insurgents carry out near daily gun and bomb attacks in the north-west that have killed thousands in recent years.
The authorities are trying to agree on extra security precautions for when the bus travels to more dangerous parts of the north-west, away from the heavily protected city of Peshawar.
But Mr Wadood, for one, is not afraid of death.
"The law and order situation in our country is the worst now but there are also problems of security in the [normal] judicial complex, so we don't fear to work here or there," he says.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What is double taxation?
- Americans living abroad file taxes with the Internal Revenue Service, which can cost hundreds of dollars to complete even though about 60 per cent do not owe taxes, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service
- Those obligations apply to millions of Americans residing overseas – estimates range from 3.9 million to 5.5 million – including so-called "accidental Americans" who are unaware they hold dual citizenship
- The double taxation policy has been a contentious issue for decades, with many overseas Americans feeling that it punishes them for pursuing opportunities abroad
- Unlike most countries, the US follows a citizenship-based taxation system, meaning that Americans must file taxes annually, even if they do not earn any income in the US.
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
Specs – Taycan 4S
Engine: Electric
Transmission: 2-speed auto
Power: 571bhp
Torque: 650Nm
Price: Dh431,800
Specs – Panamera
Engine: 3-litre V6 with 100kW electric motor
Transmission: 2-speed auto
Power: 455bhp
Torque: 700Nm
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Wenger's Arsenal reign in numbers
1,228 - games at the helm, ahead of Sunday's Premier League fixture against West Ham United.
704 - wins to date as Arsenal manager.
3 - Premier League title wins, the last during an unbeaten Invincibles campaign of 2003/04.
1,549 - goals scored in Premier League matches by Wenger's teams.
10 - major trophies won.
473 - Premier League victories.
7 - FA Cup triumphs, with three of those having come the last four seasons.
151 - Premier League losses.
21 - full seasons in charge.
49 - games unbeaten in the Premier League from May 2003 to October 2004.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
Best Foreign Language Film nominees
Capernaum (Lebanon)
Cold War (Poland)
Never Look Away (Germany)
Roma (Mexico)
Shoplifters (Japan)
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
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COMPANY PROFILE
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
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Company%20Profile
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A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
A list of the animal rescue organisations in the UAE
How to get there
Emirates (www.emirates.com) flies directly to Hanoi, Vietnam, with fares starting from around Dh2,725 return, while Etihad (www.etihad.com) fares cost about Dh2,213 return with a stop. Chuong is 25 kilometres south of Hanoi.
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Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
