ISLAMABAD: In an important step to protect the interests of Pakistanis abroad, special courts will be set up in Islamabad soon to deal with property disputes related to citizens abroad.
The move comes under the recently approved overseas Property Act 2024, which focuses on accelerating the legal process for overseas Pakistanis, which faces property issues from home.
The acting Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court has begun the process by directing the formation of these special courts. Sessions judges have been given the authority to nominate judges who will preside over special courts in the east and western overseas. According to a letter from the Registrar of the Ministry of Law and Justice, these nominations will keep the judges’ track records and experience as well as the volume of pending cases.
In addition, the letter states that the Ministry of Law will soon issue a formal information for the establishment of these courts.
Along with these progress, a dedicated bench has been set up in the Islamabad High Court to hear appeals and more complex cases under the Property Act abroad. Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro will lead the bench, as has been approved by the acting Chief Justice.
These courts are constituted following the approval of the Senate’s overseas property act in October last year. The law orders that property affairs related to Pakistanis abroad should be resolved within 90 days, which aims to provide timely relief to people abroad.
In a related update, Finance Minister Mohammad Aurangzeb praised the participation of Pakistanis abroad in the national economy. Addressing a press briefing with the Minister of Information, Atula Tarar revealed that in February 2025, remittances reached a record of $ 3.1 billion. He predicted that remittances would reach $ 36 billion by the end of the financial year.
Aurangzeb thanked them for their ongoing support and confidence in the country’s economic reforms, saying, “Our foreign community is the backbone of Pakistan’s economy.”
