ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi revealed that Chinese judges were taken aback by the vast number of pending cases in Pakistan’s judicial system during his recent visit to China, according to ARY News.
Addressing court reporters, CJP Afridi shared insights from his visit, during which he led a five-member delegation to the 20th Conference of Chief Justices of the Supreme Courts of SCO Member States, held in Hangzhou. He noted the warm welcome extended to the delegation and provided comparisons between the judicial systems of both countries.
Afridi explained that while both Pakistan and China operate through four tiers of courts, China’s Supreme People’s Court, staffed by 367 judges, currently has no pending cases—a stark contrast to Pakistan’s overburdened judiciary.
“When the Chinese judges asked how we plan to reduce our backlog, I told them, ‘We’ve come to you to learn how to address this issue,’” Afridi said, emphasizing Pakistan’s interest in leveraging technology to streamline its judicial processes.
During the visit, the Chief Justice also held discussions with Indian judges, which he described as “very significant,” though he refrained from sharing details, saying the matters would be addressed in upcoming meetings. On the sidelines of the conference, Afridi also met with Iran’s Chief Justice for bilateral discussions.
The delegation included Supreme Court Justices Amin-ud-Din Khan and Shahid Waheed, along with District and Sessions Judge Zafar Jan from Gwadar—the most remote district of Balochistan—and Senior Civil Judge Nadia Gul Wazir from Lakki Marwat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
