Petition filed in Peshawar High Court against four-day workweek order for judiciary

PESHAWAR: A petition has been submitted to the Peshawar High Court (PHC) challenging its recent directive to limit judicial working days to four per week. Advocate Mohammad Atlas Khan filed the petition on Saturday, seeking the withdrawal of the court's order and requesting that courts remain operational around the clock, without any leave for judicial officers or court staff.

The petition, filed through advocate Suleman Khan, names the PHC registrar as the respondent. It calls for the court to declare its order as illegal and to revoke it in the interest of justice. Additionally, the petitioner has requested interim relief, asking the court to suspend the implementation of the order until the petition is decided.

The PHC had issued the contested order on March 12, introducing several austerity and energy conservation measures. Among these, the court mandated that regular court work would be conducted only four days a week, from Monday to Thursday, in accordance with previously notified working hours.

According to the petition, the order effectively reduces the number of working days for the judiciary, which the petitioner argues could negatively impact the delivery of justice. The petitioner has urged the court to issue a notification for courts to remain open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with no leave for judicial officers or court staff, to ensure uninterrupted access to justice for the public.

The petition also seeks interim relief, requesting that the PHC suspend the implementation of the four-day workweek order until a final decision is made on the matter.

The PHC registrar has been made the respondent in the case. The court is expected to take up the petition for hearing in the coming days.