Rising case backlogs put focus on Pakistan’s judicial reforms

Pakistan’s judicial reforms have sparked concern from legal experts and human rights groups, who say digital upgrades and constitutional amendments have done little to address entrenched delays and may weaken anti-corruption efforts.

Since January 2023, more than 124,000 cases have remained pending across federal courts, raising questions about the effectiveness of initiatives meant to modernize the judiciary. Critics argue that recent constitutional changes have prioritized political influence over the delivery of timely justice.

Law and Justice Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar defended the government’s measures in parliament, highlighting digital initiatives such as the Case Flow Management System deployed across 170 courts and tribunals, video link facilities for criminal proceedings, and a dashboard to monitor case disposals.

Despite these upgrades, key jurisdictions continue to grapple with significant backlogs. Special Courts (Central), responsible for corruption cases under the Prevention of Corruption Act, report 3,346 pending cases out of 7,758 total. Accountability Courts have 1,027 pending out of 2,732, while Special Courts (Anti-Terrorism) list 96 pending from 243.

Specialized tribunals reveal even larger accumulations. The Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue leads with 70,063 pending cases from 112,496, followed by Banking Courts with 30,354 pending from 79,326.

Both Drug Courts and the Custom Appellate Tribunal report around 6,000 pending cases from totals exceeding 12,000. Opponents say these figures reflect inadequate resourcing and political interference rather than shortcomings in technology.

Legal experts and opposition lawmakers have also pointed to changes under the Shehbaz Sharif government in 2022, when amendments to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) curtailed its jurisdiction to cases over 500 million rupees, shortened the chairman’s tenure to three years, and transferred pending inquiries.

Critics say the reforms were designed to shield politically influential figures, though the Supreme Court partially restored NAB powers in September 2024 after initially striking down the amendments.

Subsequent constitutional reforms have intensified concerns. The 26th Amendment in October 2024 expanded parliamentary influence in the Judicial Commission, curtailed the Supreme Court’s suo motu powers, and established new constitutional benches, prompting condemnation from the International Commission of Jurists for undermining judicial independence.

The 27th Amendment in November 2025 created the Federal Constitutional Court to handle only constitutional matters, granting lifetime immunity to the president and military leaders while centralizing defense authority under the army chief. Critics have decried these measures as executive overreach.

Since its establishment, the Federal Constitutional Court has issued over 400 rulings but has faced criticism for potential politicization, including sharing facilities with the Islamabad High Court and prompting resignations from Supreme Court justices protesting the erosion of judicial autonomy.

Human rights organizations warn that the combination of NAB restrictions, constitutional amendments, and new courts risks entrenching impunity and subordinating Pakistan’s judiciary to executive at a time when accountability and civil rights remain fragile.