Realistic timelines for property litigation in Pakistan

Nobody tells buyers this before they need it. Plan around real durations rather than hopeful ones.

Route Typical duration

Overseas Pakistanis Commission complaint Weeks to several months

FIR registration through Justice of the Peace Weeks to a few months

Illegal Dispossession Act complaint, Sessions Court One to three years

Civil suit for possession, trial court Three to seven years

First appeal Two to four years further

Second appeal or High Court Two to five years further

Supreme Court Several years further

Interim injunction to stop construction Weeks, if pursued urgently

THREE CONSEQUENCES WORTH PLANNING FOR The interim injunction is often worth more than the final decree. Stopping construction early preserves the value of winning later. Settlement becomes rational at some point. A case that will run twelve years and cost heavily may be worth compromising, and there is no shame in that arithmetic. Prevention costs a few thousand rupees a year. Litigation costs years of your life. The annual checklist in Guide 11 is the cheapest legal advice in this document.