ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court of Pakistan will remain functional from the week beginning after March 30 as the top court issued cause-list of the cases to be heard during the next week amid coronavirus pandemic, ARY NEWS reported.
The cause-list issued by the apex court, however, does not include hearing of a case pertaining to a reference filed against Supreme Court Judge Justice Qazi Faez Isa. The hearing into the case is adjourned for indefinite period.
The cases to be heard in the top court from the next week included matters relating to services and bails. Only emergency cases will be heard at the apex court registries as the petitioners other than the lawyers are exempted from the court hearings.
On March 19, Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Gulzar Ahmed chaired a meeting of National Judicial Policy Making Committee (NJPMC) where it was decided against shutting countrywide courts despite rising number of coronavirus cases.
The meeting decided that the courts across the country would remain open and follow all standard operating procedures (SOPs) aimed at tackling the spread of virus.
“We will not shatter the hopes of masses who look towards the judiciary for dispensing justice,” the meeting decided.
However, it said the chief justices of the high courts were authorized to take decisions on their own keeping in view the ground realities.
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The apex court judge Justice Ijaz ul Ahsan was appointed as the focal person to coordinate with the lower courts keeping in view the developing situation. “The high courts will also appoint their focal persons,” the decision said adding that all high courts would be bound to follow the SOPs devised to deal with the virus.
The chief justice said that they would adopt all measures to prevent judicial staff and applicants from coming into contact with the virus at the courts’ premises.
“We have conveyed directives to high courts to avoid crowds during the proceedings,” he said.
