Promulgation of Commercial Courts Ordinance in Sindh for Early Disposal of Commercial Cases
Reform IDS204
Reform Description
Promulgation of Commercial Courts Ordinance in Sindh for Early Disposal of Commercial Cases

Before: For businesses, becoming involved in legal disputes was a major concern, as there were no time limits for the disposal of suits or a cap on the number of adjournments. As a result, the resolution of commercial cases often took a significant amount of time—sometimes exceeding three years.

After: This reform has enhanced the confidence of businesses operating in the country, as more than 50% of commercial cases are disposed of within the 180-day time limit and a maximum of two adjournments. It is also expected to improve Pakistan’s ranking in this indicator in the Doing Business report.

SectorAll Sectors
BeneficiariesAll Businesses
Jurisdiction/ LocationSindh
DepartmentLaw Department-Sindh/ Law-Parliamentary Affairs and Criminal Prosecution Department-Sindh
Date of Implementation25-02-2019
DetailsDifficulty Businesses had to wait for a long time for resolving a commercial dispute.
 As per Doing Business Report 2020, Commercial Cases were resolved in approximately 660 days in Lahore.
 The ranking of the indicator of Enforcing Contracts in the Ease of Doing Business report was stagnant from the last three years.
AnalysisWithout the legal framework, the disposal of the Commercial Cases by the Commercial Courts was very slow which exasperated the business community.
After establishment of Commercial Courts, ordinance was needed for efficient court proceedings as the legal framework for proceedings of Commercial Courts was missing.
Solution Accordingly, the Commercial Court Ordinance in Sindh was promulgated to address challenges of delays in resolving a commercial dispute.
 The ordinance fixed the maximum limit of disposal of a suit to 180 days and number of adjournments to 02.
Evidence