SHC Narcotics Cases Moved to Karachi Special Courts
The Sindh High Court has ordered thousands of pending narcotics cases in Karachi to be transferred to five newly formed special courts, in a move that reshapes how drug cases will be heard in the city. The SHC narcotics cases order covers cases registered under the Sindh Control of Narcotic Substances Act, 2024, and directs district judges across Karachi to complete the transfer and report back on compliance.
The order was issued through a communication from SHC Member Inspection Team-II, Muhammad Jahangir Khan, on the directions of the chief justice. It instructs all district and sessions judges in Karachi South, East, West, Central and Malir to ensure the pending drug cases move to the special courts set up under the law.
SHC narcotics cases: what the order says
Under the order, the cases will go to CNS Courts-I, II, IV, V and VI in Karachi, according to territorial jurisdiction. District judges must ensure compliance with the transfer and submit a report to Khan, the member of the inspection team who issued the communication.
The letter seen by The Express Tribune states that the transfer applies to all pending cases registered under the latest act. It also sets out how new cases will be handled from now on.
Remand proceedings in newly registered cases will be conducted before the CNS courts. Interim and final charge sheets in both new and pending cases will also be submitted to these courts, rather than to the courts that previously held them.
Why the cases are moving now
The transfer follows a change in the provincial narcotics law. The Control of Narcotic Substances Act, 1997, was repealed on October 15, 2024, and replaced by the Sindh CNS Act, 2024. The new law created the framework for special courts under Article 30, which deals with the establishment of a special court.
According to authorities, the transferred cases include four cases registered against alleged drug dealer Anmol, also known as Pinky. The order does not give a total figure for the cases being moved, describing them only as running into thousands.
Safeguards written into the new law
The Sindh CNS Act, 2024, also gives the government power to establish narcotics control police stations, check posts and check points to curb drug trafficking. It provides for stricter punishments alongside safeguards meant to protect the rights of citizens.
One of those safeguards is a rule on recording operations. Article 17, clause 2 of the law states that the video recording of all raids, seizures, inspections and arrests shall be made by the officer in charge of such operations.
That provision matters for how these cases will now be argued. With remand and charge sheets centralised in the CNS courts, the video record of each raid and seizure is set to become a standard part of the case file.
For Karachi, the change ends a split system in which cases under the new act sat in courts set up for general criminal work. Five districts, five special courts, and one set of procedural rules should now govern the same class of cases across the city.
The shift comes as Sindh’s justice system faces scrutiny on other fronts. The province recently formed a joint investigation team to carry out the findings of the Mir Raza commission, while Karachi’s institutions have been tightening their own rules, as seen in the new mandatory rules for campus events at Karachi University. Karachi law enforcement has also been in the news after the NCCIA rescued a 13-year-old girl from a dark web group.
What happens next
District judges in the five Karachi districts must now complete the transfers and file compliance reports with the inspection team. Lawyers handling narcotics cases will need to track where each case has landed, since remand and charge sheet work will now run through the special courts.
No date has been announced for the first hearings in the transferred cases.
Frequently asked questions
Which cases are being transferred to Karachi’s special courts?
Thousands of pending cases registered under the Sindh Control of Narcotic Substances Act, 2024, are being transferred to five special courts in Karachi.
Which courts will hear the cases now?
CNS Courts-I, II, IV, V and VI in Karachi, according to territorial jurisdiction, will hear the cases.
Which districts are covered by the order?
Karachi South, East, West, Central and Malir. District and sessions judges in each district must ensure compliance.
What law governs the new special courts?
The Sindh Control of Narcotic Substances Act, 2024, which replaced the 1997 act on October 15, 2024. Article 30 of the act provides for the establishment of special courts.
