PAKISTAN’S courts are quick to remind the public that justice takes time. Increasingly, however, it is the conduct of the judiciary itself that appears to be slowing the process. Delays caused by unavailable benches, repeated adjournments and fixation on procedure are becoming routine. A recent example is the appeal of former lecturer Junaid Hafeez against his death sentence in a blasphemy case. Despite being placed on the Lahore High Court’s red cause list for priority hearing, the matter was again deferred last week after the bench heard only one case before rising. Mr Hafeez has spent more than a decade behind bars since his arrest in 2013, while his appeal has remained pending since 2020. Reports suggest there has been little meaningful progress for roughly a year, with hearings repeatedly rescheduled or removed from the list altogether. In all cases, justice systems should avoid such paralysis especially where a life is involved. Equally troubling was the Islamabad High Court’s handling of petitions filed by lawyers Imaan Mazari-Hazir and Hadi Ali Chattha, where proceedings became consumed by arguments over formally placing a certified Supreme Court order on record despite the court already directing speedy disposal of the matter.

The problem goes beyond these cases. Proceedings involving missing Baloch students and enforced disappearance allegations have dragged on for years despite repeated judicial expressions of concern, summonses to senior officials and courtroom warnings about non-compliance. Across the country, undertrial prisoners remain stuck in overcrowded jails while hearings are delayed by vacant benches and endless adjournments. Procedure is essential to the rule of law, but procedure cannot become an excuse for inaction. Nor can courts indefinitely lament executive failures without ensuring meaningful follow-through on their own directives. Pakistan’s judiciary rightly guards its independence and authority. However, public confidence depends not merely on judicial pronouncements, but also on whether courts can deliver timely and effective justice.

Published in Dawn, May 25th, 2026