Lahore High Court

Arrest warrants were issued for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi after he failed to appear in court multiple times in a case involving alleged misleading statements and defamation of state institutions. Former senator Ejaz Ahmed Chaudhry petitioned the Supreme Court against the Lahore High Court's refusal to suspend his sentence for alleged involvement in conspiracy meetings linked to violent events.

The Lahore High Court (LHC) confirmed death sentences for two convicts in a 2020 motorway gang-rape case, ruling the prosecution proved their guilt beyond reasonable doubt using ocular, medical, and forensic evidence. The court rejected appeals by the convicts and the Punjab government, which sought to overturn the mandatory capital punishment.

Three suspects were remanded in judicial custody for the kidnapping and rape of two foreign women from the Netherlands and Venezuela. The victims were abducted by five suspects, including a relative of a senior political figure, who demanded ransom and committed sexual assault. Police are investigating under sections 375-A (rape) and 365-A (kidnapping for extortion) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

The government removed tax on sanitary pads, a change driven by a legal challenge from lawyer Mahnoor Omer. Despite this policy shift, many women in Pakistan still lack access to commercial sanitary products, with only 12% using them due to barriers like limited clean water and private toilets.

The Lahore High Court ruled that blocking a citizen's CNIC to enforce a maintenance decree violates due process and lacks legal sanction. The court overturned a 2017 order directing Nadra to block Nasir Ali Ranjha's CNIC for non-payment of maintenance, citing that CNICs are indispensable for fundamental rights and daily life.

A constitutional petition was filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) demanding immediate establishment of constitutional benches under Article 202A, citing delays despite the 2024 26th Amendment. The petitioner criticized unequal access to constitutional justice and administrative screening of petitions by non-judicial staff, violating constitutional principles.

The Lahore High Court ruled that creators or administrators of WhatsApp groups are not automatically criminally liable for members' posts, denying bail to a man accused of sharing blasphemous content. The court emphasized that liability arises only if an individual personally uploads or shares objectionable material, referencing Pakistan Penal Code and Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act sections.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan ruled that women's inheritance rights under Sharia law are protected and cannot be denied through private arrangements or social pressure, overturning a lower court's decision in a 71-year-old family dispute. The court declared Mutation No. 75 illegal, void, and ineffective against female heirs' rights, emphasizing that inheritance is a vested legal right devolving immediately upon death.

The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) has formed interview committees to vet candidates for high court judge appointments without including any Supreme Court judges. The panels, chaired by Federal Constitutional Court judges, include high court chief justices, the attorney general, senators, and a bar association representative for four high courts.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) reserved its verdict on the maintainability of petitions challenging the alleged solitary confinement of jailed PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi. The petitions, filed by Aleema Khan and Mubashara Khawar Maneka, were directed to be numbered after the IHC removed objections from the registrar office, with arguments highlighting precedents and international prison standards.

The Supreme Court advised lower courts to interpret real estate agreements considering current economic realities, particularly rising property prices. It ruled that a buyer who missed a payment deadline cannot seek specific performance, upholding the Lahore High Court's dismissal of a purchaser's suit against a seller in Sialkot.

The Judicial Commission of Pakistan (JCP) has initiated a process to fill 10 vacant additional judge positions in the Lahore High Court. The commission approved new interview rules and established a seven-member panel to evaluate candidates, following the 27th Constitutional Amendment that expanded the JCP's authority to set judicial appointment criteria.

The Supreme Court ruled that judges whose conduct compromises judicial integrity and erodes public trust should be removed from service. This decision overturned a tribunal's 2025 ruling that had reduced a judicial officer's penalty from removal to compulsory retirement due to insufficient corruption evidence but upheld a tarnished reputation charge.

The Lahore High Court restrained the Punjab government from taking further action regarding Ewing Hall, a property of Forman Christian College University, following a dispute over lease cancellation. The court suspended the Board of Revenue's decision to terminate the lease and ordered the government to submit a detailed report, while FCCU alleged the government's repossession was illegal.

The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) ruled that Section 7E of the Income Tax Ordinance 2001, which imposes taxes on non-income-generating immovable properties, is 'confiscatory in nature' and violates constitutional principles. The court criticized the provision for enabling discriminatory taxation and causing undue financial burdens on taxpayers, particularly as it overlaps with provincial fiscal authority and risks double taxation.

The Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) in Pakistan amended the Code of Conduct for judges to allow superior court judges to attend political or diplomatic functions with prior approval from chief justices. The June 11 meeting, led by Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, also included the newly established Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) in the code's title and updated procedures for reporting attempts to influence judicial decisions.

The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) ordered a fresh test of a seized chemical to determine if it is light aliphatic hydrocarbon (LAH) or smuggled Iranian petrol. The chemical was seized in 2023, and the court expressed concerns about risks from keeping fuel-laden tankers impounded for nearly three years. The FCC also indicated the goods could be released if the test confirms it is LAH.