The Chief Justice of Pakistan, as Chairman of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan, chaired a high-level consultation at the Supreme Court on Thursday to address legislative and procedural gaps causing delays in banking dispute resolution.
The meeting drew on the Federal Board of Revenue’s experience with Alternative Dispute Resolution Committees in tax litigation, which have helped reduce backlog and speed up settlements.
Officials explored adapting similar ADR mechanisms for the banking sector to ensure faster, cost-effective, and predictable resolution of disputes.
In his remarks, the chief justice said banking litigation remains a “critical bottleneck affecting financial discipline, credit flow, and overall economic stability.” He called for targeted statutory reforms, streamlined procedures, and institutionalized ADR frameworks to cut reliance on conventional litigation.
The consultation focused on identifying legal and procedural hurdles in banking recovery, simplifying processes that cause delays, strengthening ADR systems tailored to banking disputes, and improving coordination between regulators, financial institutions, and dispute forums.
The meeting was attended by Supreme Court Justices Muhammad Ali Mazhar and Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb, Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan, and senior officials from the Law and Justice Division, FBR, SECP, State Bank of Pakistan, Banking Mohtasib, FPCCI, Pakistan Banks Association, Pakistan Tax Bar Association, OICCI, and the Entrepreneurs’ Organization Islamabad Chapter.
The Law and Justice Commission will consolidate proposals into a structured reform framework for technical vetting by an expert committee. The recommendations will then be placed before the LJCP for approval and sent to the Ministry of Law and Justice for policy action.
According to the Supreme Court’s press release, the consultation marks a “focused and strategic step” toward reforming banking dispute resolution through ADR-driven solutions aligned with the rule of law and economic governance.