Supreme Court of Pakistan
INSTITUTION DATA
The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) was established in 1956 as the successor to the Federal Court of Pakistan and exercises its jurisdiction under successive legal frameworks. Initially, seated in Karachi and later Lahore, SCP was shifted to Rawalpindi in 1974 before establishing its permanent seat in Islamabad on December 31, 1993. Supplementing the Principal Seat at Islamabad, Branch Registries were established in all four provincial capitals to facilitate litigants with easier access to justice. Initially, the principal seat was connected with SCP’s Branch Registries through video-link; however, as part of information and communication centric reforms, this facility was expanded to the Circuit Benches of all the High Courts enabling the litigants and their advocates to appear from their nearest station.
The Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973 mandates SCP’s composition, jurisdiction, powers, and functions, as well as the qualifications, tenure, and procedure for appointment and removal of judges. SCP’s functioning is further regulated through the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Act, 2023 (as amended from time to time) and the Supreme Court Rules, 2025.
SCP is the country’s highest court of appeal, ensuring uniformity, consistency, and finality in the interpretation and application of law across all jurisdictions entrusted to it and central to the administration of justice. As the supreme appellate authority of civil, criminal, and administrative law, its judgments are binding on the subordinate judiciary, while both executive and judicial authorities are constitutionally bound to act in aid of SCP. Under the mandate of the Constitution, SCP has authority to issue such directions, orders or decrees as may be necessary for doing complete justice in any pending case.
SCP comprises the Chief Justice and such other judges as determined by the law. Judges are appointed by the President on the recommendation of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan, while the Chief Justice is nominated by a Special Parliamentary Committee from among the three most senior judges of the Court. If the office of Chief Justice or of a judge of SCP falls vacant, the President appoints one of the sitting judges as Acting Chief Justice or a High Court .. .. judge qualified to be appointed as judge of SCP, as an acting judge. A judge of SCP holdsoffice until the age of sixty-five years unless he resigns earlier or is removed from office. The Chief Justice’s tenure is three years, subject to the same conditions. Removal of a judge is only possible through a high-powered Institution called the Supreme Judicial Council.
Presently, Justice Yahya Afridi, the Chief Justice of SCP is the Chief Justice of Pakistan. Being the Chief Justice of Pakistan, he is the Head of the Judicial Commission of Pakistan and the Supreme Judicial Council, and also Chairman of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan as well as the Federal Judicial Academy.
Mr. Justice Munib Akhtar
Mr. Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail
Mr. Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar
Mrs. Justice Ayesha A. Malik
Mr. Justice Shahid Waheed
Ms. Justice Musarrat Hilali
Mr. Justice Irfan Saadat Khan
Mr. Justice Naeem Akhter Afghan
Mr. Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan
Mr. Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi
Mr. Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan
Mr. Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar
Mr. Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui
Mr. Justice Salahuddin Panhwar
Mr. Justice Shakeel Ahmad
Mr. Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim
Mr. Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb
Mr. Suhail Muhammad Laghari, Registrar Supreme Court of Pakistan
The Registrar of the Supreme Court of Pakistan has been vested with various administrative, executive and quasi-judicial powers. He is appointed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan under Para I of the Schedule to the Supreme Court Establishment Service Rules, 2015 by promotion, or deputation, or on contract.
As per Rule I of Order III of the Supreme Court Rules, 2025, the Registrar is the executive head of the Court and exercises such powers as are assigned to him by the said Rules. The Registrar is mandated to keep a list of all cases pending before the Court and the list of cases ready for hearing. He has been assigned various powers mentioned in Rule 10 thereof.
The Registrar is assisted by Additional Registrars, Deputy Registrars, Assistant Registrars and other Officers, who perform the functions assigned or delegated to them by the Chief Justice or the Registrar, under the Rules.
The Registrar of SCP is vested with administrative powers under the Supreme Court Rules, 2025, to oversee court operations through various branches and supporting staff.
The Judicial Branch consists of various branches, namely:
The Administration Branch deals with administrative matters, while the General and Miscellaneous Branches deal with other affairs concerning the Court.
Keeping in view the significance of Information Technology in relation to judicial work, a separate IT Section has been set up in the Court. Its main responsibilities include designing and creating databases, deploying and configuring databases on server machines, designing user privileges on databases, conducting requirement analysis, developing and deploying application software, and maintaining software.
A specialized wing for research and analysis has been established in the Supreme Court to carry out extensive and detailed legal analysis of cases and to identify and cite relevant judicial precedents from the judiciaries of other countries.
The Supreme Court Library, with 80,000 volumes, and the Museum serve as vital repositories of legal knowledge and judicial history.
A dedicated Facilitation Centre has been created to provide litigants and the general public with all necessary services under one roof.
Various online facilities have also been provided, including information about judges and court staff, court cases, cause lists, judgments, a feedback portal, an anti-corruption portal, a public helpline, and a public facilitation portal. The facilities for e-filing and e-office have also been made operational.
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