NJPMC Moves Tax Cases to Division Benches

Islamabad, July 13, 2025, 02:04 PM PKT — In a bold policy shift, the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee (NJPMC), chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi, has ruled that all constitutional petitions on tax and financial matters will be adjudicated by division benches of High Courts, not single-member benches, to ensure consistency and judicial rigor in complex economic cases, decided during the 53rd NJPMC meeting on Friday at the Supreme Court. Attendees included chief justices of all provincial High Courts and the Additional Attorney General, reinforcing a transparent, citizen-focused judiciary rooted in constitutional values, addressing judicial performance, independence, tech integration, and commercial disputes.

The committee tackled enforced disappearances, vowing unwavering protection of fundamental rights with a dedicated judicial committee and Executive input via the Attorney General. To shield officers from external pressure, High Courts must establish reporting mechanisms with strict timelines. A “Commercial Litigation Corridor” with dedicated commercial courts and a pilot “Double-Docket Court Regime” in select districts aim to speed up business disputes and clear backlogs. Model Criminal Trial Courts will expedite delayed cases, while a court-annexed mediation regime with district-level centres and family court units boosts Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).

A committee led by former Justice Rehmat Hussain Jafferi, with Balochistan High Court Chief Justice, registrars, and the Federal Judicial Academy Director General, will set key performance indicators (KPIs), harmonise recruitment, and draft a District Judiciary Policy Forum roadmap, exploring international training. A “Professional Excellence Index” for judicial appointments is due in 30 days, and the National Judicial Automation Committee (NJAC) will regulate AI integration with a comprehensive charter. Chief Justice Afridi stressed timely, impartial justice, but web context notes past backlog issues (e.g., 1.8 million cases), while posts found on X show hope—some praise reforms, others doubt execution. Critically, the narrative of “judicial modernisation” may mask implementation risks—web data suggests resource constraints, and X sentiment hints at distrust in sustained progress, pointing to potential challenges.