Islamabad, The Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan has released a report detailing the performance of the country’s Administrative Tribunals and Special Courts (ATSC) for 2023, showing a slight increase in case backlogs, particularly under Federal Jurisdiction.

According to Press Information Department, the report, which analyzes the workflow of 324 ATSCs nationwide, indicates that pending cases have risen by approximately 2%, from 160,697 to 163,211. During the year, 135,824 new cases were filed, and 137,316 were resolved. The data reveals a notable jurisdictional disparity: the 145 ATSCs under Federal Jurisdiction experienced a 5.7% increase in pending cases, while the 179 Provincial Jurisdiction ATSCs saw an 11% decrease in their backlogs.

The Federal ATSCs, particularly in fiscal and service sectors such as the Appellate Tribunal Inland Revenue, Banking Courts, and Federal Service Tribunal, accounted for 83% of the total pending cases. In contrast, Provincial Courts, including Anti-Corruption Courts, Consumer Courts, Provincial Service Tribunals, and Labour Courts, comprised 82% of the pending cases.

The report emphasizes the need for the Federal and Provincial Governments to improve court operations to reduce case pendency and enhance justice sector service delivery. The full report is available on the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan’s website and social media platforms.