Walk into any district court in Pakistan and you will hear a stream of words that sound like a foreign language - ex-parte, challan, stay, remand, wakalatnama, tareekh. Half are English, half are Urdu, and most people nod along without really knowing what they mean. This guide fixes that. Below are 50 of the most common court and legal terms, grouped by where they appear, each with a plain meaning, its Urdu equivalent, and the statute it comes from. Keep it open the next time you read a court notice or sit through a hearing.
Starting a civil case
Civil disputes - property, money, contracts, family matters - are governed mainly by the Code of Civil Procedure 1908 (CPC). These are the words you meet when a suit is filed.
| Term | Urdu | Plain meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Plaint | Arzi dawa / عرضی دعوی | The written document that starts a civil suit (Order VII, CPC). |
| Written statement | Jawab dawa / جواب دعوی | The defendant's formal reply to the plaint (Order VIII, CPC). |
| Plaintiff | Muddai / مدعی | The person who files the suit. |
| Defendant | Mudda-alaih / مدعا علیہ | The person being sued. |
| Cause of action | Bina-e-dawa | The set of facts that gives you the legal right to sue. |
| Jurisdiction | Ikhtiyar-e-samaat / اختیار سماعت | A court's legal power to hear a particular case. |
| Limitation | Miyaad / میعاد | The deadline within which a case must be filed (Limitation Act 1908). |
| Court fee | Court fees / کورٹ فیس | The stamp duty paid on a plaint or petition (Court Fees Act 1870). |
| Summons | Talbi / طلبی | A court notice ordering a party or witness to appear. |
Missing the limitation deadline can sink an otherwise strong case - see our guide to limitation deadlines in Pakistan. To work out your filing cost, use our court fee calculator.
Judgments, decrees and orders
Once a suit is under way, the court passes orders and eventually decides it. This is where people most often confuse a judgment with a decree, or a stay with an injunction.
| Term | Urdu | Plain meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Judgment | Faisla / فیصلہ | The reasoned decision explaining why the court ruled as it did. |
| Decree | Digri / ڈگری | The formal, enforceable expression of the decision that settles the parties' rights. |
| Ex-parte | Yaktarfa / یکطرفہ | Decided in the absence of one party who failed to appear. |
| Injunction | Hukm-e-imtinaee / حکم امتناعی | An order to do, or stop doing, something (Specific Relief Act 1877). |
| Stay order | Hukm-e-iltawa / حکم التوا | An order that suspends proceedings or the execution of a decree. |
| Interim order | Aarzi hukm / عارضی حکم | A temporary order that holds until the case is decided. |
| Execution | Amaldaramad / عملدرآمد | Enforcing a decree so the winning party actually gets relief (Order XXI, CPC). |
| Decree-holder | Digri daar | The party in whose favour the decree was passed. |
| Judgment-debtor | Mehkoom-alaih | The party against whom the decree must be enforced. |
| Adjournment | Tareekh / تاریخ | Postponing the hearing to a later date. |
Stay vs injunction: a stay freezes a court process or the execution of a decree, while an injunction orders a party to do or not do something in the real world. They overlap but are not the same remedy.
Criminal and police terms
Criminal matters run on the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 (CrPC) and the Pakistan Penal Code 1860 (PPC). These are the words that dominate a police station and a criminal trial.
| Term | Urdu | Plain meaning |
|---|---|---|
| FIR | Ibtidai ittilaee report / ابتدائی اطلاعی رپورٹ | The First Information Report that starts a criminal case (s.154, CrPC). |
| Challan | Challan / چالان | The police report or charge sheet filed after investigation (s.173, CrPC). |
| Cognizable offence | Qabil-e-dast-andazi police | An offence in which police may arrest without a warrant. |
| Non-cognizable | Na-qabil-e-dast-andazi | An offence where police need the magistrate's permission to act. |
| Bailable / Non-bailable | Qabil / na-qabil-e-zamanat | Whether bail is a right or is at the court's discretion. |
| Bail | Zamanat / ضمانت | Release of an accused from custody, with sureties (s.496-498, CrPC). |
| Remand | Remand / ریمانڈ | Court-ordered police or judicial custody during investigation (s.167, CrPC). |
| Accused | Mulzim / ملزم | The person charged with an offence. |
| Complainant | Mustaghis / مستغیث | The person who lodges the complaint. |
| Charge | Fard-e-jurm / فرد جرم | The formal statement of the offence read to the accused. |
| Warrant | Warrant giraftari / وارنٹ گرفتاری | A court order to arrest or produce a person. |
| Acquittal | Bari / بری | A finding that the accused is not guilty. |
| Conviction | Saza / سزا | A finding of guilt and the sentence that follows. |
If you are dealing with the police, our guides on how to file an FIR and the bail procedure in Pakistan explain these steps in full.
People, evidence and documents
Every hearing involves lawyers, witnesses and paperwork. These terms cover the people in the room and the documents that keep a case moving.
| Term | Urdu | Plain meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Advocate | Wakeel / وکیل | A licensed lawyer entitled to represent parties in court. |
| Wakalatnama | Wakalatnama / وکالت نامہ | The document appointing an advocate for a specific case. |
| Power of attorney | Mukhtar nama / مختار نامہ | Authority given to a person to act in legal or financial matters. |
| Affidavit | Halafnama / حلف نامہ | A written statement sworn on oath before an oath commissioner. |
| Oath Commissioner | Halfia afsar | The officer who attests affidavits and sworn statements. |
| Witness | Gawah / گواہ | A person who gives evidence in court. |
| Evidence | Shahadat / شہادت | Proof placed before the court (Qanun-e-Shahadat Order 1984). |
| Examination-in-chief | Bayan-e-ibtidai | Questioning your own witness to bring out their evidence. |
| Cross-examination | Jirah / جرح | Questioning the opposing side's witness to test their evidence. |
| Cause list | Fehrist-e-muqaddemat / فہرست مقدمات | The daily list of cases fixed before a court. |
| Certified copy | Naqal / نقل | An official, attested copy of a court record. |
Two documents trip people up constantly. Learn the format and attestation rules in our affidavit guide and understand the difference between general and special authority in our power of attorney guide. Ready-to-use templates are on our legal forms page.
Appeals and constitutional remedies
If you lose - or want a higher court to look again - you move up the ladder. These terms separate an appeal from a revision, a review and a constitutional writ.
| Term | Urdu | Plain meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Petition | Darkhwast / درخواست | A written application seeking relief from a court. |
| Respondent | Jawab dahinda / جواب دہندہ | The party responding to an appeal or petition. |
| Appeal | Appeal / اپیل | Asking a higher court to reconsider a decision on facts and law. |
| Revision | Nazr-e-sani (nigrani) | A higher court's supervisory review of a lower court's order (s.115, CPC). |
| Review | Nazr-e-sani / نظرثانی | The same court re-examining its own decision (Order XLVII, CPC). |
| Writ petition | Aaini darkhwast / آئینی درخواست | A constitutional petition to a High Court (Article 199). |
| Suo motu | Az khud notice / از خود نوٹس | A court acting on its own motion (Supreme Court, Article 184(3)). |
| Bench | Bench / بنچ | The judge or panel of judges hearing a case. |
The routes upward differ by case and court. See our walkthroughs of the civil appeal process and the writ jurisdiction of the High Courts under Article 199.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a plaint and a petition?
A plaint (arzi dawa) starts a civil suit under the CPC 1908. A petition (darkhwast) is a broader application - such as a writ petition to a High Court under Article 199, or a bail petition in a criminal case.
What does ex-parte mean?
Ex-parte (yaktarfa) means the court decided in the absence of one party who did not appear despite service of summons. An ex-parte decree can be set aside under Order IX Rule 13 CPC on good cause.
Is a decree the same as a judgment?
No. The judgment (faisla) gives the reasons; the decree (digri) is the formal, enforceable order that settles the parties' rights and is what actually gets executed.
What is the difference between bail and remand?
Bail (zamanat) releases an accused from custody with sureties under sections 496 to 498 CrPC. Remand (section 167) is the opposite - custody granted to police or the jail during investigation.
What does cognizable offence mean?
It is an offence in which police can arrest without a warrant and register an FIR under section 154 CrPC, such as robbery or murder. Non-cognizable offences need the magistrate's permission.
Where can I get the exact court fee for my case?
Court fees vary by the type and value of the claim under the Court Fees Act 1870. Use our court fee calculator for an estimate, or speak to a lawyer to confirm.