Sindh High Court moves thousands of narcotics cases to five Karachi courts

The Sindh High Court has ordered that thousands of narcotics cases be transferred to five special courts in Karachi, according to a report by The Express Tribune, a move that would place a large volume of drug prosecutions before a small set of dedicated courtrooms.

The report, available to this newspaper, gave the number of affected cases only as "thousands" and did not specify a figure. It did not name the five courts, state whether they are existing courts designated for the purpose or newly established ones, or set out a timetable for the transfers to take effect.

Skardu Times could not independently confirm the terms of the order, and no written order was available at the time of filing. No statement from the Sindh High Court or the provincial government accompanied the report.

Karachi is the capital of Sindh and Pakistan's most populous city, and its district and special courts carry a heavy load of pending cases. On the account given by The Express Tribune, narcotics cases currently spread across the city's courts would instead be heard by five courts.

The Sindh High Court is the province's highest judicial forum, and the district and special courts below it hear the bulk of criminal cases in Karachi, including prosecutions brought under narcotics laws.

It was not immediately clear from the report how the transfer would affect hearing schedules, whether cases already partway through trial would move, or what it would mean for defendants in custody.

Further details are expected once the court's written order becomes publicly available. This newspaper will update the story as the order and any government response are confirmed.

In a separate development carried by UrduPoint, television anchor Hamid Mir was reported to have said that he had received orders to support and oppose Imran Khan and was threatened with cases for refusing. That report concerns a different matter and is not connected to the Sindh High Court order.