Pakistan court hierarchy & jurisdiction map

Where does my case start?

• Your marriage / custody / maintenance / Khula dispute

  → Family Court (Schedule to the Family Courts Act 1964)

• Your property title / inheritance / rent dispute

  → Civil Court — Senior Civil Judge if value > PKR 5M (Punjab), Junior CJ otherwise

• Someone committed a crime against you

  → FIR at the police station → trial in Magistrate / Sessions Court

• Online harassment / financial fraud / cybercrime

  → FIA Cybercrime Wing (NCCIA 1991) → trial in PECA-designated Sessions Court

• Fundamental-rights violation by a government body

  → High Court writ petition under Article 199

• A law you believe is un-Islamic

  → Federal Shariat Court under Article 203D

• Public-interest matter of constitutional significance

  → Supreme Court under Article 184(3) — via the 26th Amendment committee process

The four-tier hierarchy

1. Tier 1

   Family Court

   All matters under the Schedule to the Family Courts Act 1964 — dissolution of marriage, Khula, maintenance, custody, dower / Mehr, guardianship.

   Territorial

   District where the wife resides (for women), or where the cause of action arose.

   Appeals to

   District Court (under §14 Family Courts Act).

   Examples

   Khula petition · Maintenance under MFLO §9 · Custody (Hizanat)

2. Tier 1

   Civil Court (Junior Civil Judge / Senior Civil Judge)

   Civil suits — property, contract, recovery, declaration, injunction.

   Pecuniary limit

   Junior Civil Judge: up to PKR 5M (Punjab). Senior Civil Judge: unlimited at trial.

   Territorial

   Where the property is situated or the cause of action arose.

   Appeals to

   District Court (suits ≤ certain threshold) or High Court directly.

   Examples

   Suit for declaration of title · Recovery of rent · Specific performance

3. Tier 1

   Magistrate / Sessions Court (Criminal)

   Trial of offences under the Pakistan Penal Code, Pakistan Code of Criminal Procedure 1898, special criminal statutes.

   Pecuniary limit

   Magistrate Class I — up to 3 years; Sessions Court — sentences above 3 years, all offences punishable with death / life imprisonment.

   Territorial

   Where the offence occurred or the FIR was filed.

   Appeals to

   Sessions Court (against Magistrate), High Court (against Sessions).

   Examples

   Bail applications · Trial under PPC §302 / §392 / §489-F · PECA cybercrime trials

4. Tier 2

   District & Sessions Court

   Civil appeals from subordinate courts; Sessions side handles serious criminal matters; supervises subordinate judiciary in the district.

   Appeals to

   High Court of the province.

   Examples

   Civil appeal · Criminal appeal from Magistrate

5. Tier 3

   High Court (provincial)

   Constitutional writs under Article 199 (mandamus, prohibition, quo warranto, certiorari, habeas corpus). Appeals from Sessions / District courts. Original civil jurisdiction in some matters. Income-tax / customs references. Election disputes for provincial assemblies.

   Territorial

   Lahore (Punjab) · Sindh (Karachi) · Peshawar (KP) · Balochistan (Quetta) · Islamabad (IHC).

   Appeals to

   Supreme Court of Pakistan.

   Examples

   Writ against police inaction · ECL removal under Article 199 · Tax reference

6. Tier 3

   Federal Shariat Court

   Examines whether any law is repugnant to the injunctions of Islam (Article 203D). Appellate jurisdiction in Hudood offences.

   Appeals to

   Shariat Appellate Bench of the Supreme Court.

   Examples

   Challenge to a law as un-Islamic · Hudood appeal

7. Tier 4

   Supreme Court of Pakistan

   Appellate (Articles 184(2), 185), original (Article 184(3) — public-interest litigation), advisory (Article 186), Shariat appellate. The 26th Amendment 2024 limits suo motu jurisdiction; PIL must now route through a 3-judge committee.

   Territorial

   Principal seat Islamabad; permanent benches in provincial capitals.

   Appeals to

   — (apex court).

   Examples

   Constitutional petitions under 184(3) · Civil appeals by leave · Death-sentence confirmations