On February 16, 2026, the Supreme Court of Pakistan announced a significant initiative to expedite the resolution of death penalty and life imprisonment cases, setting a target of 45 days for their completion. This decision comes as the backlog of criminal cases has decreased from 19,549 in October 2024 to 12,705. During the week of February 9 to 14, 354 cases were resolved, with 131 new cases filed, indicating a resolution rate approximately 270% higher than the rate of new filings. The Chief Justice emphasized the need for a coordinated strategy involving specialized benches and judicial teams to achieve these goals, stating, "We are committed to a zero-tolerance policy against stagnation in criminal cases." This reform aims to prioritize pending death penalty cases by January 2026, enhancing the efficiency of the judicial process in Pakistan (Pakistan News Index).