ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court, Federal Shariat Court, all the High Courts, and District Courts shall work for four days a week (Monday to Thursday), to reduce fuel consumption and operational expenditure.
The National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee (NJPMC) approved that in an emergent virtual meeting, held at the Supreme Court of Pakistan building on Tuesday. Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi chaired the meeting, which was attended by the Chief Justices of the Federal Shariat Court, Lahore High Court, Islamabad High Court, Peshawar High Court, Sindh High Court, Balochistan High Court, while the Attorney General for Pakistan attended on special invitation.
The Committee approved a comprehensive Judicial Austerity and Energy Conservation Strategy aimed at ensuring responsible use of national resources while maintaining uninterrupted access to justice across the country, which shall remain in force till further orders.
The meeting approved that the Federal Shariat Court and the High Courts shall observe a four-day working week (Monday to Thursday). However, while ensuring that urgent judicial and administrative functions continue without disruption on Fridays and Saturdays, the Courts may take necessary internal governance measures, keeping in view their operational priorities.
Likewise, the District Courts shall work for four days a week (Monday to Thursday) with full capacity, while the respective High Courts shall keep their human resource at a bare minimum on Fridays and Saturdays, as per workload and performance benchmarks.
The meeting also approved that the monthly ceiling of Petroleum, Oil and Lubricants (POL) allocated to the judges of the Federal Shariat Court and the High Courts shall be reduced by 50 percent, while that of judicial officers by 25 percent.
It also decided that no additional protocol or security vehicles shall be deployed during movement within designated high-security zones. However, the quarter concerned shall ensure route security as per the required protocols. While the Federal Shariat Court and the High Courts shall rationalise security and protocol, the Judges and Judicial Officers serving in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan shall maintain their security as per circumstances.
The litigants and counsels shall be encouraged to participate in proceedings through video-link facilities, where feasible, including through the premises of High Courts and District Courts.
The Federal Shariat Court and the High Courts shall implement rotational attendance arrangements for staff, wherever practicable, to minimise commuting and reduce energy consumption while maintaining essential court functions.
The Senior Court Associate (Admin) of the Supreme Court Registrar’s Office also issued the notification in this regard.
The NJPMC emphasised that these measures represent the judiciary’s institutional commitment to prudent governance, environmental responsibility, and solidarity with the broader national effort to conserve energy and public resources.
The NJPMC reaffirmed that access to justice will remain uninterrupted, even as the judiciary aligns its internal operations with principles of efficiency, sustainability, and responsible stewardship.
It reflects the institution’s proactive response to the anticipated disruption in petroleum supply and rising global energy costs, underscoring the judiciary’s commitment to national resilience and institutional responsibility.
Recognising that the justice sector must lead by example in times of economic and energy uncertainty, the NJPMC resolved that courts across Pakistan will adopt a series of practical measures designed to reduce fuel consumption, limit operational costs, and promote efficient use of resources without compromising the delivery of justice.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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