Islamabad's judicial system is overwhelmed as the pendency of criminal cases in the Pakistani capital city has exceeded 18,000, with a majority of the suspects going scot-free as a result of archaic laws, weak prosecution, and flawed investigation, media reports said.

According to court statistics, currently, 9,369 criminal cases are pending with the Sessions Division (West) of Islamabad whereas the total pendency of Sessions Division East is 8,660, reports Dawn News.

The total number of pending cases in the city now stands at 18,029.

The sessions courts convicted suspects in 1143 cases during the current year; however, in 661 cases the convicts got acquitted through appellate forums, mainly because the prosecution in the trial courts was weak, the Pakistani newspaper reported.

The acquittal of rape cases remained alarming.

In over 80 per cent of cases, suspects evaded punishment due to flawed investigation, weak prosecution, and out-of-court settlements., reported Dawn News.

Legal experts believe that a large number of suspects in pending cases would also benefit due to the centuries-old laws on which the investigation agencies, prosecution, and courts have to rely.