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 Pakistanportal |
There are five high courts of Pakistan, each based in the capital city of the four provinces, plus one in the federal capital, Islamabad. Articles 192 to 203 of the Constitution of Pakistan outline the constitution of the courts, appointment of the judges, their oath of office, and jurisdiction of the high courts. [1]
At the time of partition in August 1947, the Lahore High Court, the Dhaka High Court, [2] the Chief Court of Sind and the Judicial Commissioner's Court in the North-West Frontier Province were deemed to be the four high courts of Pakistan. [3]
In 1955, the Dhaka High Court and the Lahore High Court became the High Court of East Pakistan and the High Court of West Pakistan, respectively. [4] The West Pakistan High Court had benches at Karachi and Peshawar as well as circuit courts at Quetta (replacing the Judicial Commissioner in Balochistan) and Bahawalpur (replacing the High Court of Judicature at Baghdad-ul-Jadid). [5]
As the province of West Pakistan was dissolved in 1970, three high courts were established: Lahore High Court, Peshawar High Court, and Sind and Balochistan High Court (with its principal seat at Karachi). [6]
In 1976 the Sindh and Balochistan High Court was split into the High Court of Sind (Karachi) and the High Court of Balochistan (Quetta). [7]
In 1985 the Lahore High Court had Benches at Bahawalpur, Multan and Rawalpindi; the High Court of Sind at Sukkur; the Peshawar High Court at Abbottabad and Dera Ismail Khan and the High Court of Baluchistan at Sibi. [8]
In 2007, the government proposed a fifth high court to cover the Islamabad Capital Territory. [9] This proposal was blocked by the Lahore High Court, but the decision was overturned by the Supreme Court of Pakistan on 24 December 2007. [10] As a result of the 18th constitutional amendment, the Islamabad High Court was established in 2010. The amendment also established the Mingora Bench of the Peshawar High Court and the Turbat Bench of the High Court of Baluchistan. [11]
| High court | Province | Principal seat | Benches [1] | Established |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lahore High Court | Punjab | Lahore | Bahawalpur, Multan, Rawalpindi [12] | 1866 |
| Sindh High Court | Sindh | Karachi | Sukkur, Hyderabad, Larkana, [13] Mirpurkhas [14] | 1866 |
| Peshawar High Court | Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | Peshawar | Abbottabad, Mingora, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu [15] | 1901 |
| Balochistan High Court | Balochistan | Quetta | Sibi, Turbat [16] | 1976 |
| Islamabad High Court | Capital Territory | Islamabad | 2010 |
| High court | Territory | Principal seat | Benches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azad Kashmir High Court | Azad Kashmir | Muzaffarabad | Kotli, Mirpur, Rawalakot |
| Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court | Gilgit-Baltistan | Gilgit | Skardu |
Transport in Pakistan is extensive and varied. In recent years, new national highways have been built, with the addition of motorways which have improved trade and logistics within the country. Pakistan's rail network is also undergoing expansion in recent years. Airports and seaports have been built with the addition of foreign and domestic funding. Transportation challenges in Pakistan are escalating due to poor planning, inadequate governance, and corrupt practices.
The administrative units of Pakistan comprise four provinces, one federal territory, and two disputed territories: the provinces of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan; the Islamabad Capital Territory; and the administrative territories of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit–Baltistan. As part of the Kashmir conflict with neighbouring India, Pakistan has also claimed sovereignty over the Indian-controlled territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh since the First Kashmir War of 1947–1948. It also has a territorial dispute with India over Junagadh, but has never exercised administrative authority over either regions. All of Pakistan's provinces and territories are subdivided into divisions, which are further subdivided into districts, and then tehsils, which are again further subdivided into union councils.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan is the apex court in the judicial hierarchy of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry is a Pakistani jurist who served as the 20th Chief Justice of Pakistan over three non-consecutive terms from 29 June 2005 to 11 December 2013.
The Lahore High Court is a provincial court house based in Lahore, Punjab, Pakistan. It was established as a high court on 21 March 1882. The Lahore High Court has jurisdiction over the province of Punjab. The High Court's principal seat is in Lahore, but there are benches in three other cities of the province: Rawalpindi, Multan and Bahawalpur.
The former administrative units of Pakistan are states, provinces and territories which mainly existed between 1947 and 1975 when the current provinces and territories were established. The former units have no administrative function today but some remain as historical and cultural legacies. In some cases, the current provinces and territories correspond to the former units – for example the province of Punjab includes almost all the territory of the former province of West Punjab.
The four provinces, capital territory, and two autonomous territories of Pakistan are subdivided into 38 administrative "divisions", which are further subdivided into districts, tehsils, and finally union councils. These divisions were abolished in 2000, but restored in 2008.
The judiciary of Pakistan is the national system of courts that maintains the law and order in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Pakistan uses a common law system, which was introduced during the colonial era, influenced by local medieval judicial systems based on religious and cultural practices. The Constitution of Pakistan lays down the fundamentals and working of the Pakistani judiciary.
The four provincial governments of Pakistan administer the four provinces of Pakistan. There is also a federal capital territory and two territories which have similar governments but with some differences. The head of each province is a non-executive Governor appointed by the President. The Governors play a similar role, at the provincial level, as the President does at the federal level. Each province has a directly elected unicameral legislature, with members elected for five-year terms. Each provincial assembly elects a Chief Minister, who then selects a cabinet of ministers from amongst the members of the Provincial Assembly. Each province also has a High Court, which forms part of the superior judiciary.
The 2012–13 Quaid-e-Azam Trophy was one of two first-class domestic cricket competitions that were held in Pakistan during the 2012–13 season. It was the 55th edition of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, and was contested by fourteen teams representing regional cricket associations. It was preceded in the schedule by the President's Trophy, which was contested by ten departmental teams.
This is a list of terrorist incidents in Pakistan in 2015.