LAHORE – A major shortage of judges has rendered 1,153 district courts across the country non-functional, according to newly released official statistics.
Data issued by the Law and Justice Commission shows that in Punjab, 808 courts are inactive due to the absence of judges, while 89 courts in Sindh are also non-operational for the same reason.
The documents further reveal that 78 courts in Balochistan, 149 in Peshawar, and 29 district courts in Islamabad are awaiting judicial appointments. In Punjab alone, 648 posts of family and civil judges remain vacant.
According to the data, 126 civil and family courts under the Peshawar High Court are currently non-functional due to unfilled judicial positions. In Sindh, 70 posts of civil and family judges are vacant, while Balochistan has 58 pending appointments.
The report also highlights that 13 civil and family courts in Islamabad are inactive due to the shortage of judges. Meanwhile, pending cases in district courts nationwide have surged beyond 2 million, raising serious concerns over judicial backlog and delays in justice delivery.
