Pakistan to Introduce Evening Court Bench for Speedy Case Hearings
ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN — WEB DESK: Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi has announced that a judicial bench will also sit during evening hours to hear requests for early hearings, as the Supreme Court moves to improve case management and accelerate the disposal of cases.
Addressing a full court meeting on Monday, the chief justice said a dedicated bench was being constituted to deal with applications seeking expedited hearings. The bench would also sit in the evening to take up cases requiring early consideration.
Justice Afridi also said the Supreme Court’s policy governing the scheduling of cases had been placed online, making the process more systematic. He said that under the new mechanism, cases could no longer be fixed merely on his personal instructions.
The chief justice addressed concerns about the workload of judges, rejecting the perception that judges take three months of vacation. He clarified that judges take one month of leave during a three-month period, rather than remaining on leave for the entire period.
Justice Afridi also highlighted the scale of the court’s daily workload, saying that as many as 75 cases had been fixed before a single bench in one day. He added that two officials separately recheck cases appearing on the cause list.
The planned evening bench forms part of broader attempts within Pakistan’s judiciary to improve access to timely justice and address delays.
The concept of evening proceedings has already been implemented elsewhere in Pakistan’s judicial system. In 2025, the Peshawar High Court inaugurated the country’s first Double Docket (Evening) Court in Abbottabad, following a National Judicial Policy Making Committee decision supporting evening sessions for urgent and time-sensitive cases.
That model covers matters including family and rent disputes, cases involving women and juveniles, narcotics cases and offences carrying sentences of up to seven years. The Peshawar High Court said the initiative was designed to reduce case backlogs while improving accessibility and efficiency.
Justice Afridi separately announced that the Shariat Appellate Bench will sit for one week every two months.
The latest measures indicate an increased emphasis on structured case scheduling and extended judicial working arrangements. Their longer-term impact, however, will depend on implementation and whether they translate into measurable reductions in case delays and pending litigation.
