During a recent visit to China, the Chief Justice learned that the Supreme Court of China has 367 judges and notably, no pending cases.

When he shared the number of pending cases in Pakistan, the Chinese judges expressed astonishment and inquired how such a backlog could be managed. Afridi replied, “That’s why we came to you.”

He emphasized the necessity of leveraging technology to enhance the judicial system but clarified that it is not a panacea that will automatically resolve all challenges. Effective implementation of artificial intelligence (AI), he noted, requires comprehensive data.

Accompanied by a five-member delegation, Chief Justice Afridi also met with the Iranian Chief Justice Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Eje’i.

He pointed out that the Chinese judicial system, like Pakistan’s, operates through four forums.

Discussions with judges from the Indian judiciary took place during the visit, although he chose not to disclose details due to the current context.

Afridi acknowledged that Pakistan’s five High Courts are currently performing better than the Supreme Court in terms of technology use.

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He stressed the urgent need for effective technological integration and learning from successful practices to improve the judiciary.

He concluded by stating that it is crucial for positive developments in the judiciary to be communicated to the public, to restore trust and accelerate reform efforts.