The Long Road to Justice
Why Sargodha and Mianwali Need Their Own High Court Benches
For litigants and lawyers in Sargodha and Mianwali, access to the Lahore High Court often means long travel, high costs, and delays. A case for permanent regional High Court benches in 2026.
By Adv Misbah Akram Rana
In the legal landscape of Punjab, “justice at your doorstep” is a phrase often used but seldom felt by the people of the Sargodha and Mianwali divisions. For decades, litigants and legal professionals from these areas have been caught in a logistical nightmare, traveling hundreds of kilometers to seek relief from the Lahore High Court (LHC).
As these cities grow into major administrative and economic hubs, the demand for localized judicial complexes — specifically permanent High Court benches — has moved from a request to a necessity.
The Burden of Distance
Currently, Mianwali is tagged to the Rawalpindi Bench of the LHC, while Sargodha remains primarily linked to the Principal Seat in Lahore. Here’s why this is a problem:
- Travel time: A round trip from Mianwali to Rawalpindi can take over 5 to 6 hours. For those in Sargodha traveling to Lahore, traffic congestion at the city’s entry points often turns a 3-hour drive into a 5-hour ordeal.
- The financial toll: It’s not just about fuel — it’s also transport, food, and sometimes overnight lodging. Most High Court matters aren’t resolved in a single day, so justice becomes a luxury many cannot afford.
- Case delays: If a lawyer or petitioner is delayed by a road blockage or transport disruption, the matter is adjourned, pushing timelines back by months.
Why Do Lawyers Have to Travel So Far?
A common question asked by the public is: “Why can’t my local lawyer just handle it here?”
The answer lies in jurisdiction. Under the Constitution of Pakistan, certain matters — such as writ petitions against government departments, appeals against lower-court decisions, and high-stakes civil or criminal matters — can only be heard by a High Court judge.
If there is no High Court bench in Sargodha, local courts simply do not have the legal authority to hear those categories of cases. Consequently:
- Constitutional authority: Lawyers must physically appear where the bench sits to present arguments before a High Court Justice.
- Centralization: Until a formal Sargodha bench is established by the government and the judiciary, the legal venue remains fixed in Lahore or Rawalpindi.
The Solution: A Permanent Regional Complex
Establishing permanent judicial complexes with High Court benches in these cities would be transformative:
- Decongesting Lahore: The Principal Seat in Lahore is overwhelmed with thousands of pending cases. Shifting Sargodha and Mianwali matters to regional benches would speed up the process for everyone.
- Empowering local bars: Lawyers would no longer need liaison offices in other cities or to refer clients to big-city firms, keeping the legal economy local.
- Public trust: When citizens can see the scales of justice within their own division, trust in the state increases.
Final Thought
The people of Sargodha and Mianwali shouldn’t have to choose between their life savings and their legal rights. Infrastructure like CPEC routes has made travel faster, but it hasn’t made the distance shorter.
It is time for the judicial map of Punjab to reflect the reality of 2026: every major division deserves a High Court bench.
Justice delayed is justice denied — but justice too far away is often justice never sought at all.
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