Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Yahya Afridi recently revealed that Chinese judges were taken aback by the vast number of unresolved cases in Pakistan’s judicial system during his official visit to China, according to a report by ARY News.
Speaking with court reporters, the CJP shared insights from the trip, where he led a five-member delegation and received a warm welcome. He noted that China’s judiciary, much like Pakistan’s, operates on four tiers. However, unlike Pakistan, the Supreme People’s Court of China employs 367 judges and currently has no case backlog—highlighting the disparity between the two systems.
When Chinese counterparts asked how Pakistan intended to address its judicial backlog, Justice Afridi said he candidly responded, “We’ve come to you to learn how to resolve these cases,” and emphasized the importance of adopting technological solutions to speed up legal proceedings.
Justice Afridi also mentioned a significant conversation with Indian judges during the visit, though he opted not to share details at this time, indicating the matter would be addressed in future interactions.
In addition to engagements with Chinese and Indian officials, the CJP also met with Iran’s Chief Justice on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Chief Justices’ Conference held in Hangzhou, China.
It is noteworthy that Justice Afridi headed Pakistan’s delegation at the 20th Conference of Chief Justices of the Supreme Courts of SCO Member States. The delegation also included Supreme Court Justices Amin-ud-Din Khan and Shahid Waheed, along with two judges from Pakistan’s district judiciary: Mr. Zafar Jan, District and Sessions Judge of Gwadar—Balochistan’s most remote region—and Ms. Nadia Gul Wazir, Senior Civil Judge from Lakki Marwat, a remote area in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.