- Bill introduced by Senator Dr Shezra Mansab Ali passed with a majority of vote
ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Friday passed the Civil Courts (Amendment) Bill, 2025 with a majority vote to balance the judicial burden and improve access to justice.
The bill was introduced by Senator Dr Shezra Mansab Ali Kharal, aims at easing the growing workload of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) by allowing certain appeals, currently heard by the IHC, to be redirected to district courts.
This legislative move is expected to streamline judicial proceedings and ensure quicker resolution of civil cases in the federal capital.
The bill had already secured approval from the National Assembly, marking a significant development toward enhancing the efficiency of Islamabad’s judicial system.
The need for this amendment stems from the rising value of properties in Islamabad Capital Territory, which has pushed the valuation of most Regular First Appeals beyond Rs2.5 million. As a result, the appellate workload on the IHC has increased significantly.
Currently, under clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 18 of the West Pakistan Civil Courts Ordinance, 1962, the IHC holds appellate jurisdiction over cases exceeding Rs2.5 million. In contrast, the Lahore High Court has already increased its pecuniary appellate jurisdiction to Rs50 million through the Punjab Civil Courts (Amendment) Act, 2016.
Given this disparity, the bill seeks to shift the responsibility for appeals arising from orders or decrees by civil judges to the district courts, helping to balance the judicial burden and improve access to justice.
The passage of this bill marks a step forward in judicial reform by aligning Islamabad’s legal framework with that of other provinces and ensuring more efficient use of court resources.
The House also referred six legislative bills to the relevant committees for further deliberation and detailed consideration.
The referred bills include: The Pakistan Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2025. The Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (Amendment) Bill, 2025, The Extradition (Amendment) Bill, 2025, The Civil Servants (Amendment) Bill, 2025; The Anti-Dumping Duties (Amendment) Bill, 2025 and The Pakistan Navy (Amendment) Bill, 2025
The bills will now be examined in committee before being brought back to the House for final discussion and voting. This process ensures thorough scrutiny and input from stakeholders before legislation is enacted.
Meanwhile, the House received eight reports from various committees, covering a range of legislative and policy matters.
The reports presented included, The Income Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025, Annual Report of the
Committee for the period June 2024 to March 2025, Report from the Committee on Federal Education and Professional Training, The Pakistan Penal Code (Amendment) Bill, 2024, The Criminal Laws
(Amendment) Bill, 2024, The Muslim Family Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2024, The National Institute of Health (Re-organization) (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and The Mental Health (Amendment) Bill, 2025
Also, the Minister for Human Rights laid the Annual Report 2022–23 of the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) before the Senate.
The report was submitted in compliance with sub-section (2) of Section 16 of the National Commission on the Status of Women Act, 2012.
