Leghari v. Federation of Pakistan

This case study describes the legal action brought by Ashgar Leghari, a Pakistani farmer, against the Government of Pakistan for failing to implement national climate change policies. The Lahore High Court ruled in 2015 that this failure violated citizens' fundamental rights, leading to the creation of a Climate Change Commission and a mandate for government ministries to appoint climate change point-persons.

• Ashgar Leghari sued the Government of Pakistan for failing to properly implement the National Climate Change Policy of 2012 and the Framework for Implementation of Climate Change Policy (2014-2030), focusing on adaptation measures due to Pakistan's vulnerability to climate change.
• On September 4, 2015, the Lahore High Court ruled that the government's delay in implementing the Framework violated the fundamental rights of citizens, specifically citing Article 9 (right to life/healthy environment) and Article 14 (right to human dignity) of Pakistan's Constitution.
• The court ordered government ministries to appoint a climate change point-person and submit action points by the end of 2015. It also established a Climate Change Commission consisting of scientific experts, civil society, and ministry representatives to monitor progress.
• A report from the court-formed Climate Change Committee noted in January 2018 that 66% of the priority actions from the Framework for Implementation of Climate Change Policy were implemented between September 2015 and January 2017.
• The Leghari case is noted for shifting the focus of climate litigation toward the global south and emphasizing citizens' rights to climate adaptation, which is critical in regions like Pakistan facing climate-induced droughts and floods.

APA

Natural Justice (n.d.). Leghari v. Federation of Pakistan. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Leghari-v.-Federation-of-Pakistan.pdf

Chicago

Natural Justice. Leghari v. Federation of Pakistan. n.d. https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Leghari-v.-Federation-of-Pakistan.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Natural Justice |title=Leghari v. Federation of Pakistan |url=https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Leghari-v.-Federation-of-Pakistan.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{naturaljusticendleghari, author = {{Natural Justice}}, title = {{Leghari v. Federation of Pakistan}}, institution = {Natural Justice}, url = {https://naturaljustice.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Leghari-v.-Federation-of-Pakistan.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }