Petition Filed in High Court Against Three Weekly Judicial Holidays

Peshawar: A petition has been filed in the Peshawar High Court challenging the three-day weekly judicial holidays.

According to Express News, the petition was submitted by Advocate Atlas Khan through Advocate Sulaiman Khan, naming the Registrar of Peshawar High Court as the respondent.

The petition argues that on March 12, the Peshawar High Court issued a notification closing courts for three days a week, which hinders judicial independence and timely delivery of justice.

It further states that courts should remain open seven days a week, 24 hours a day, to ensure prompt justice for the public. Judges are public servants, and if they do not perform their duties, they are not entitled to salaries. The petition also cites relevant Supreme Court decisions supporting this stance.

The petitioner referenced Section 352 of the Criminal Procedure Code, emphasizing that court doors must remain open to the public at all times.

The petition requests that the notification issued on March 12, implementing three weekly holidays, be declared null and void.

Previously, the Peshawar High Court had issued the notification under energy-saving measures and directives from the National Judicial Policy Making Committee, which included three weekly holidays and a 50 percent reduction in judges’ fuel allowances.