Islamabad: Translating reform into measurable outcomes, the Supreme Court of Pakistan, under the leadership of the Chief Justice of Pakistan, continues to strengthen criminal justice delivery through sustained institutional reforms, effective case management, and a firm commitment to expeditious and fair adjudication. Since the assumption of office by the Chief Justice in October 2024, the overall pendency of criminal cases before the Supreme Court has been reduced from 19,549 to 12,705 cases, reflecting a substantial and sustained decline in backlog.
This progress is further reflected in weekly disposal trends. During the week 9-14 February 2026, the Supreme Court of Pakistan disposed of 354 criminal cases alonerelating to death sentences and life imprisonment, while 131 cases of the same category were instituted. The disposal during the week was approximately 270% higher than the institution, underscoring sustained momentum in criminal adjudication, proactive bench constitution, and the Court's focused approach to reducing pendency of cases.
These outcomes flow from a consistent and structured reform policy endorsed in recent reform review meetings chaired by the Chief Justice of Pakistan. It was decided that all pending death sentence cases up to January, 2026, would be prioritized, with all death sentence and life imprisonment cases targeted for disposal within the next 45 days. Dedicated benches, reform groups, and judicial teams are actively pursuing these objectives through structured planning, continuous monitoring, and coordinated institutional efforts.
The Supreme Court's sustained focus on criminal justice reform also aligns with the Chief Justice's broader reform agenda concerning undertrial prisoners. Clear directions have been issued to regulate, expedite, and introduce predictable timelines for jail petitions from filing to disposal, to reduce uncertainty, ease the hardships faced by undertrial prisoners, and ensure humane and constitutionally compliant justice delivery. These measures reinforce the Court's policy of zero tolerance for stagnation in criminal litigation and affirm the judiciary's unwavering resolve to uphold the rule of law through timely, decisive, and effective judicial action.