ISLAMABAD – The number of pending cases in the Supreme Court has almostdoubled in the last five years, from 20,480 in 2013 to 40,540 in 2018, areportlinkinthe local media said.

Around 8,000 cases have alone been added to the litigations pending beforethe top court during the 20-month period of Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar,it added.

The report states that 30,404 cases were pending in August 2016 while thenumber of pending cases was 40,540 till August 15, which shows that morethan 10,000 cases were added in just two years.

LOWEST IN 2001:

In 2001, the backlog was 13,070. This figure has multiplied several timessince. Historical trends suggest that the number has increased each yearsince 2001.

17,370 cases were pending in 2002 while in the coming 14 years from 2003 to2016, the numbers of pending cases had been 20,031, 27,614, 14,984, 13,724,15,186, 17,754, 18,359, 20,234, 20,228, 20,314, 20,480, 22,979, 27,639 and32,744, respectively, the report claimed.

There was a noticeable increase in the pending cases during 2016. InNovember 2017, the backlog reached 36,344. In the last nine months, around4,000 cases had been added to the already massive pile of pending cases.

30,404 cases were pending in August 2016 while now the number of pendingcases is 40,540. This shows that more than 10,000 cases were added in twoyears.

It has been noticed that the figure is increasing by the day as 39,525cases were pending as on May 31, which has now reached 40,540 on August15. Six hundred and eighty-two (682) cases have been instituted in thefirst 15 days of August while the SC decided 526 cases.

The Supreme Court has released its annual report 2016-17, which noted thatduring the period from September 6, 2017 to June 30, 2018, the courtdecided 16,897 cases against the institution of 19,098 cases. The fullcourt observed that there is a rising trend of institution of cases thatshows the trust of people in the judiciary.