Pakistan’s judicial system buried under 2.36 million pending cases

Lahore High Court and Punjab’s district judiciary top backlog as Pakistan’s judicial system faces overwhelming delays

Karachi: Despite efforts for reforms, Pakistan’s judicial system remains under immense pressure as case backlogs continue to surge. Pakistan’s courts are under immense strain as more than 2.36 million cases remain unresolved across the country. According to the latest figures from the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan, the backlog spans the Supreme Court, High Courts, Federal Shariat Court, and district courts.

As of December 31, 2024, a total of 2,362,135 cases were pending. A staggering 83 percent of these—1,955,758 cases—are stuck in the district judiciary, while the remaining 17 percent (406,377 cases) are spread across superior courts.

Supreme Court still overburdened

The Supreme Court recorded 57,666 pending cases as of July 1, 2024. Between July and December, 8,496 new cases were filed while 10,517 were decided. This reduced the pending caseload slightly to 57,316 by the end of the year.

The Federal Shariat Court had 77 pending cases as of July 1. It received 21 new cases and disposed of 20, leaving 78 cases unresolved.

High Courts facing steady influx

Pakistan’s five High Courts had a combined backlog of 347,383 cases on July 1. Over the next six months, 116,617 new cases were filed, and 111,996 were resolved. By December 31, the High Court caseload stood at 348,983.

The Lahore High Court continues to shoulder the heaviest burden, with 198,005 pending cases by year-end. It saw 73,612 new filings and resolved 73,482 cases during the six-month period.

Sitting second, the Sindh High Court had 86,421 cases pending. Between July and December, it accepted 19,335 new cases and resolved 17,901.

The Peshawar High Court ended the year with 40,667 unresolved cases. It had received 14,097 new cases and disposed of 12,635.

Islamabad High Court followed with 18,618 cases, after admitting 6,142 and deciding 4,574.

The Balochistan High Court had 5,272 cases pending by year-end. It received 3,431 new cases and disposed of 4,404.

District Courts hit hardest

District courts continue to bear the brunt of the backlog. As of July 1, 2024, they had 1,818,943 pending cases. Between July and December, 2,578,633 new cases were filed, and 2,454,557 were resolved. By December 31, the number of pending district court cases increased to 1,933,755.

Punjab’s district judiciary leads with 1,491,951 unresolved cases, up from 1,343,637 in July. The province saw 2,018,615 new cases filed and resolved 1,886,334.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa followed with 254,830 pending cases. It admitted 256,519 new cases and disposed of 270,263.

In Sindh, 142,435 cases remained unresolved by year-end. The courts there registered 221,330 new filings and resolved 214,471.

Islamabad’s district courts recorded 51,542 pending cases, with 50,845 new entries and 52,689 decisions made in the period.

Balochistan’s district courts ended 2024 with 18,685 pending cases. The province received 31,324 new cases and resolved 30,800 during the second half of the year.

Urgent reform needed

The persistent backlog underscores systemic inefficiencies and the urgent need for judicial reforms. Legal experts warn that without improvements in case management, judge appointments, and technological integration, timely justice will remain elusive for millions of citizens.

The judiciary has emphasized the need for swift appointments and better infrastructure to deal with the rising caseload. Citizens and legal stakeholders continue to urge the government to prioritize judicial efficiency to restore public trust.