ISLAMABAD: The subcommittee constituted by the National Judicial Policy-Making Committee (NJPMC) to address protracted litigation in commercial, revenue, and fiscal cases held its first meeting on Friday under the chairmanship of Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui of Supreme Court.

The meeting was attended by Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh of the Lahore High Court (LHC), Justice Agha Faisal of the Sindh High Court, Justice Arshad Ali of the Peshawar High Court, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) Chairman Rashid Mahmood Langrial, Additional Attorney General for Pakistan Munawar Iqbal Duggal, members of the FBR legal team, and the Secretary of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP).

Justice Siddiqui emphasised that prolonged litigation and injunctive orders not only hinder public revenue recovery but also undermine investor confidence and commercial certainty. The committee, he noted, has been tasked with formulating concrete recommendations to expedite the resolution of such cases and to review proposals from the Attorney General for Pakistan (AGP) concerning the recognition and enforcement of foreign arbitral awards.

Participants acknowledged that the establishment of specialised commercial benches across the high courts has already produced encouraging results by reducing case pendency. Justice Siddiqui appreciated these outcomes and suggested extending the specialised bench model to cases involving foreign arbitral awards to ensure swift and expert adjudication.

Judicial policy-making body moves to curb delays in commercial, revenue litigation

The FBR chairman while welcoming judiciary’s proactive engagement, reaffirmed the FBR’s commitment to strengthening institutional coordination and ensuring the expeditious resolution of revenue-related disputes. He also endorsed the proposal to establish a dedicated legal department within FBR to ensure consistent legal strategy and institutional support.

Concluding the session, Justice Siddiqui reaffirmed the judiciary’s resolve to enhance judicial efficiency and foster effective inter-institutional collaboration, terming it vital for strengthening economic governance and improving the ease of doing business. The committee’s recommendations will be submitted to the NJPMC for consideration in its forthcoming meeting.

Earlier, the subcommittee was constituted during the 54th meeting of the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee held in August.

The body, headed by Supreme Court Judge Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui, was tasked with addressing the issue of protracted litigation and injunctive orders in commercial, revenue, and fiscal cases, and to formulate appropriate recommendations.

Other members of the subcommittee include LHC’s Justice Abid Aziz Sheikh, SHC’s Justice Agha Faisal, PHC’s Justice Arshad Ali, AGP and FBR chairman.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2025