Lockdown halts court proceedings in twin cities

ISLAMABAD: Tight security measures linked to expected US-Iran talks, along with a 15-day lockdown, have brought court activity in Rawalpindi and Islamabad to a near standstill, affecting proceedings across a wide range of courts.

According to lawyers, accused persons have not been brought from Adiala Jail to courts for the past two weeks. The disruption has affected session, civil, family, magistrate, anti-narcotics, NAB and customs courts, leaving judges unable to move forward in cases where the presence of the accused is required.

The suspension has delayed hearings in both major and routine matters. Cases linked to the May 9 incidents, the GHQ attack, terrorism, kidnapping for ransom, narcotics, robbery and gang rape are among those that have not proceeded during the period.

Lawyers said nearly 50,000 cases have been adjourned without hearings and assigned distant dates. They added that bar associations in Rawalpindi and Islamabad had asked courts not to pass adverse orders in the absence of lawyers and accused persons, and the request was accepted.

Backlog worsens as extra holidays add to delays

The situation has been compounded by three weekly holidays on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Previously fixed hearings on Fridays and Saturdays have also been postponed for weeks, further increasing the backlog.

Lawyers said Saturdays had earlier been used to take up more complicated matters because higher courts remained closed that day, allowing additional time for detailed proceedings in lower courts. They said the added holidays have now deepened delays across the judicial system.

In family and civil matters, litigants are now being given dates two months later, lawyers said, adding that the postponements are causing hardship for court users, particularly women.

They also said the closure has disrupted arrangements in family disputes where separated parents meet their children on Fridays and Saturdays. Working people, they added, already face difficulty attending court on weekdays, and the current schedule has made matters more complicated.

Lawyers call for restoration of normal court work

Lawyers demanded that the lockdown be lifted and regular court proceedings be restored. They said no accused person has been produced from jail in 15 days, preventing meaningful progress in criminal cases.

They further argued that accused persons brought to court in handcuffs do not pose a security threat and should be presented before judges so hearings can continue.

Lawyers warned that with three weekly holidays and prolonged adjournments, public trust in the judicial process is being affected as litigants continue to face delays in the resolution of their cases.