PoGB lawyers extend strike, threaten to block Karakoram highway amid judicial paralysis

Giglit [PoGB], April 24(ANI): The legal crisis in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan (PoGB) has deepened as the Nagar Bar Association announced an extension of their ongoing strike until April 26, as reported by Pamir Times.
Frustrated by the continued indifference of the authorities, lawyers have issued a stern warning, if their demands remain unmet, they will escalate the protest by blocking the vital Karakoram Highway, the region's main artery for trade and travel, the Pamir Times reported.
According to Pamir Times, for nearly seven months, Gilgit-Baltistan's highest court has been without a single appointed judge. The judiciary has come to a grinding halt, leaving over 12,000 cases in limbo and effectively paralysing the legal system. The absence of functioning courts has left citizens helpless, their legal battles suspended in uncertainty.
"Land disputes, criminal appeals, family cases, all are frozen. For those seeking justice, it's like knocking on a locked door with no one inside," said one senior lawyer, expressing the mounting frustration across the legal community.

This unprecedented judicial vacuum has not only stalled the legal process but also eroded public faith in governance. Cases involving violence, inheritance, and property disputes are left unattended for years, causing deep distress to ordinary citizens, the Pamir Times cited.
"For the past six to seven years, the top court has been without judges. Around 10 to 12 thousand cases are stuck," another lawyer explained. "If appeals aren't moving, what's the point of running the lower courts either?"
According to Pamir Times, the current crisis is symptomatic of broader structural issues in the region's judiciary. Lawyers argue that Gilgit-Baltistan lacks the legal protections and institutional frameworks afforded to other parts of Pakistan. In many instances, a single judicial officer is burdened with the roles of both magistrate and civil judge, leading to case overloads and indefinite postponements.
"Across Pakistan, lawyers are protected under the law. But in Gilgit-Baltistan, there's no protection, no system," a protesting lawyer added. "It's not just lawyers who suffer. The public is caught in this collapse. People blame lawyers for delays, thinking we just ask for more dates. But the truth is, the system is drowning."
The strike, now entering its second month, has already brought most legal activity in the region to a halt. Lawyers demand immediate judicial appointments, structural reforms, and a fully functional court system that ensures timely justice.
As the April 26 deadline approaches, tension is rising. The looming threat to shut down the Karakoram Highway could disrupt not just legal proceedings but the broader social and economic fabric of Gilgit-Baltistan -- a region already facing isolation due to its geography and political ambiguity, the Pamir Times reported.
Unless swift action is taken by federal and regional authorities, Gilgit-Baltistan could see an intensification of protests, and with it, an even deeper erosion of trust in the rule of law. (ANI)