The Supreme Court of Pakistan has demonstrated a meaningful advance in its digital transformation agenda, successfully conducting court proceedings through secure video link technology that allowed judges and counsel to participate simultaneously from multiple cities, reinforcing the judiciary’s commitment to ensuring uninterrupted access to justice regardless of logistical or circumstantial constraints. In a recent session at the principal seat in Islamabad, Justice Ayesha Malik joined the bench from the Lahore Registry through a secure video link after an emergent situation affected the bench composition at that registry, a development that under conventional arrangements would have resulted in the delisting of all scheduled cases and significant inconvenience to litigants and their counsel. Instead, the bench heard and disposed of 20 out of 28 fixed cases, reflecting a strong commitment to substantive adjudication and timely dispensation of justice.
As part of these reforms, the Supreme Court is increasingly enabling lawyers and litigants to participate in proceedings via video link from across the country, eliminating the need to travel to Islamabad, with the initiative being particularly beneficial for individuals from remote and underserved areas by significantly reducing costs and logistical challenges. During a hearing on March 24, 2026, counsel appeared through video link from Quetta, Hyderabad, and Karachi, demonstrating the practical effectiveness of the system in facilitating smooth and inclusive proceedings. The expansion of video link hearings is being pursued under a broader reform framework led by the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan, and involves continued coordination with High Courts across the country, particularly in regions that do not have Supreme Court branch registries, as well as capacity-building efforts for court staff to ensure the reforms translate into sustained operational capability rather than isolated demonstrations.
The immediate digital milestones sit within a more sweeping institutional commitment that Chief Justice Yahya Afridi has placed at the centre of the judiciary’s modernisation agenda. Chief Justice Afridi has announced that by August 2026, all courts across Pakistan will be solar-powered and equipped with e-libraries, women facilitation centres, and a nationwide electronic court system, in what officials describe as the first coordinated nationwide effort to systematically digitise court operations at scale. The programme involves coordination with provincial judicial administrations, bar councils, and information technology agencies to ensure standardised deployment across trial courts, high courts, and the Supreme Court, with technology-enabled courtrooms and digital case files designed to support transparency, reduce paperwork, and improve monitoring of case progress. Chief Justice Afridi expressed appreciation for the cooperation of the bar, court staff, and information technology teams whose efforts have enabled the real-time adoption of digital hearing infrastructure, describing the developments as a significant milestone in the evolution of Pakistan’s judicial system towards a more adaptive, technology-driven, and citizen-accessible framework.
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