Chinese judges shocked over Pakistan's pending cases: CJP Afridi

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi said that Chinese judges were shocked to learn about the massive backlog of pending cases in Pakistan’s judicial system during his recent visit to China, ARY News reported.

Speaking to court reporters, Afridi shared details of his trip, where he led a five-member delegation and was warmly received.

He stated that China’s judicial system, like Pakistan’s, operates through four forums, with the Supreme People’s Court staffed by 367 judges and no pending cases, a stark contrast to Pakistan’s overburdened judiciary.

When Chinese judges inquired how Pakistan plans to address its case backlog, Afridi responded, “We’ve come to you to learn how to tackle these cases,” emphasizing the use of technology to expedite judicial processes.

During the visit, Afridi also met with Indian judges, describing the discussions as “very significant” but declined to disclose details, stating they would be addressed in future meetings.

Also read: Supreme Court pending cases drop to 58,487

Additionally, he held talks with Iran’s Chief Justice on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Chief Justices’ Conference in Hangzhou.

It is worth mentioning here that the Hon’ble Chief Justice of Pakistan, Mr. Justice Yahya Afridi, headed distinguished delegation to the 20th Conference of Chief Justices of the Supreme Courts of SCO Member States, held in Hangzhou, China.

Mr. Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan, Mr. Justice Shahid Waheed, and two judges of the district judiciary: Mr. Zafar Jan, District and Sessions Judge Gwadar, the remotest district of Balochistan, and Ms. Nadia Gul Wazir, Senior Civil Judge District Lakhi Marwat, a remote district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, also accompanied the CJP.