Challenging an Arbitral Award in Pakistan: Limited Grounds Explained

Losing in arbitration doesn't open the door to relitigating the case in court. Pakistani courts, consistent with the general international approach to arbitration, will not re-examine the merits of an award — challenges succeed only on specific, limited procedural or jurisdictional grounds.

Grounds that can succeed

• The arbitration agreement was invalid or a party lacked capacity to enter it
• A party wasn't given proper notice of the proceedings or was unable to present its case
• The award deals with matters outside the scope of the arbitration agreement
• The composition of the tribunal or the procedure didn't follow what the parties agreed
• The award conflicts with Pakistani public policy — interpreted narrowly, not as a general fairness review

What doesn't work as a challenge

Disagreeing with the arbitrator's factual findings, believing the tribunal weighed evidence incorrectly, or simply preferring a different outcome are not, on their own, valid grounds for setting aside an award. This surprises clients used to the broader appeal rights available in ordinary litigation.

Timing

Challenges to an award must be brought within a defined limitation period after the award is made — missing this window generally forecloses the challenge regardless of its underlying merit.

Our advice

Before advising a client to challenge an award, we assess honestly whether the objection fits one of these narrow grounds — pursuing a challenge that doesn't fit them usually just adds cost without changing the outcome.

This article is general information about Pakistani law and procedure, not legal advice for any specific matter. If this touches on something you're currently facing, get in touch and we'll advise on your facts directly.