Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Qazi Faez Isa has stated that seeking adjournments in cases will no longer be acceptable due to the significant backlog of cases in the Supreme Court (SC).

The remarks were made during a hearing of a land dispute case, in which a lawyer sought to adjourn the hearing for a later date. CJP Isa reprimanded the lawyer, stating that the trend of seeking adjournments would no longer be tolerated.

He emphasized the need to issue notice and hear arguments during the same hearing, rather than adjourning for a later date. CJP Isa stressed that all necessary paperwork should be complete when a case comes to the SC.

Last week, CJP Isa had formed a committee of judges on case management to address the backlog of 57,000 cases pending before the top court. The committee, which includes representatives from the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) and the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), will develop guidelines for case management and the speedy administration of justice.

As part of transparency measures, the SC will regularly release details of the number of cases filed and disposed of by the court on a weekly basis.