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Govt Abolishes 5 Accountability Courts, Redesignates Them as Special Tribunals
The federal govt has abolished 5 accountability courts in Lahore, redesignating them as special courts and tribunals, including intellectual property and customs courts.
ND
by News Desk
2025-04-05
Govt Abolishes 5 Accountability Courts, Redesignates Them as Special Tribunals

The federal government has ordered the abolition of five accountability courts in Lahore, redesignating them into newly established special courts and tribunals, according to an official notification dated April 3, issued by the Law Ministry.

The notification, accessed by Dawn.com, states that the reorganization is effective immediately and includes the conversion of judges’ posts, support staff, assets, and budgets from the abolished courts to their new roles.

The courts affected are Accountability Courts I, III, IV, VII, and VIII. Here’s how they’ve been reassigned:

  • Court I → Intellectual Property Tribunal, Multan
    • Jurisdiction: Multan, Sahiwal, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan
  • Court VIII → Intellectual Property Tribunal II, Lahore
    • Jurisdiction: Gujranwala, Sargodha
  • Court III → Special Court (Customs, Taxation, Anti-Smuggling), Multan
    • Jurisdiction: Multan, Bahawalpur, DG Khan, Sahiwal
  • Court IV → Special Court (Customs, Taxation, Anti-Smuggling), Lahore
    • Jurisdiction: Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Sargodha
  • Court VII → Special Court (Central), Gujrat
    • Jurisdiction: Gujrat, Mandi Bahauddin

Lahore has been designated as the headquarters for the newly established special courts and tribunals, while Multan also becomes a hub for newly structured judicial forums.

Furthermore, the remaining five accountability courts in Lahore (Courts II, V, VI, IX, and X) have now been renumbered and re-titled as Accountability Courts I to V, Lahore, respectively.

This overhaul reflects a shift in judicial focus, indicating a possible downscaling of corruption cases and a prioritization of intellectual property rights, customs violations, and smuggling cases in the legal landscape of Punjab.

The move has raised questions over the future direction of anti-graft accountability in the country, especially amid ongoing political debate over the National Accountability Bureau's role.

 
Tagged:

PakistanJustice

JudicialReforms

AccountabilityCourts
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