Constitution

Part VII · The Judicature · The High Courts

Seat of the High Court

Article 198

Amended by 18th Amendment (2010)

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1[(l)

] Each High Court in existence immediately before the commencing day shall continue to have its principal seat at the place where it had such seat before that day.

2[(1A)

The High Court for Islamabad Capital Territory shall have its principal seat at Islamabad.]

3[(2)

Each High Court and the Judges and divisional courts thereof shall sit at its principal seat and the seats of its Benches and may hold, at any place within its territorial jurisdiction, circuit courts consisting of such of the Judges as may be nominated by the Chief Justice.

(3)

The Lahore High Court shall have a Bench each at Bahawalpur, Multan and Rawalpindi; the High Court of Sindh shall have a Bench at Sukkur; the Peshawar High Court shall have a Bench each at Abbottabad 4[, Mingora] and Dera Ismail Khan and the High Court of Balochistan shall have a Bench at Sibi 5[and Turbat.]

(4)

Each of the High Courts may have Benches at such other places as the Governor may determine on the advice of the Cabinet and in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court.

(5)

A Bench referred to in clause (3), or established under clause (4), shall consist of such of the Judges of the High Court as may be nominated by the Chief Justice from time to time for a period of not less than one year.

(6)

The Governor in consultation with the Chief Justice of the High Court shall make rules to provide the following matters, that is to say,—

(a)

assigning the area in relation to which each Bench shall exercise jurisdiction vested in the High Court; and

(b)

for all incidental, supplemental or consequential matters.]

Amendment notes (5)›
  1. 1Re-numbered (1) ibid.,
  2. 2New clause (1A) ins. by the Constitution (Eighteenth Amdt.) Act, 2010 (10 of 2010), section 71.
  3. 3Added by P. O. No. 14 of 1985, Article 2 and Schedule
  4. 4Inserted by the Constitution (Eighteenth Amdt.) Act, 2010 (10 of 2010), section 71.
  5. 5Added ibid.,

How to cite

In a petition
Article 198 of the Constitution
With heading
Article 198 of the Constitution (Seat of the High Court)
In full
Article 198, Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973

English text as amended up to 21 November 2025 (27th Amendment), published by Ministry of Law and Justice / National Assembly of Pakistan. The English text is authoritative. Official PDF, page 130