Lahore Bar Association calls strike over four-day court week and austerity measures

LAHORE: The Lahore Bar Association (LBA) has declared a complete strike and scheduled a general house meeting for Thursday to protest against the recent implementation of a four-day work week in courts, which has been introduced as part of austerity measures in light of the Middle East crisis following the US-Israel war on Iran.

According to a press release issued by the LBA secretary, the association voiced strong objections to notifications from both the Supreme Court and the Lahore High Court that outlined the new austerity measures. The LBA contends that the decision to designate Friday and Saturday as holidays will significantly delay the resolution of cases, adding to the backlog of cases that have already been pending for years. The association further argued that these delays would result in what it described as the "economic exploitation" of both litigants and lawyers.

In addition to opposing the reduced court work week, the LBA also condemned the 26th and 27th constitutional amendments, as well as what it termed "illegal and unconstitutional" changes to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Act 2026. The association specifically criticized the extension of the NAB chairman's tenure as part of these amendments.

The LBA's press release further denounced the recent acts of aggression and violence by the US and Israel against Iran, expressing solidarity with those affected by the conflict.

The general house meeting called by the LBA is expected to address these concerns in detail and determine further actions in response to the court notifications and legislative amendments.