ISLAMABAD: The Su­­p­reme Court has recorded its first decline in pending cases in nearly a decade.

For nearly a decade, the number of pending cases in the Supreme Court had been steadily increasing — rising from 25,686 cases in 2015 to a record high of over 60,446 in early 2024.

But for the first time in almost ten years, the upward trend in case pendency has been reversed.

The total number of pending cases, which had reached 60,446 in early 2024, declined to 56,169 by October 2025.

Upon assuming office in October 2024, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi had made the reduction of case pendency and the transformation of the Court into a people-centric, technology-driven institution one of his foremost priorities.

A comprehensive review was undertaken to identify the underlying causes behind the persistent rise in pendency, and the Judicial Reform Action Plan was launched, aimed at improving institutional efficiency, modernising systems and enhancing transparency, accessibility and responsiveness to the needs of citizens.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2025