ISLAMABAD: A majority of judges at the Islamabad High Court (IHC) remained on leave following the end of winter vacations on Thursday, leaving lawyers and litigants dissatisfied.

Out of the court’s eight judges, only Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani were available to hear routine cases. As a result, the IHC registrar’s office did not issue a cause list for cases before Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, Justice Tariq Mehmood Jahangiri, Justice Babar Sattar, Justice Sardar Ejaz Ishaq Khan, Justice Arbab Mohammad Tahir and Justice Saman Rafat Imtiaz for the current week.

These judges are expected to resume their duties next week. Advocate Shafqat Tarar, Secretary of the Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA), expressed concern over the situation, noting that the high pendency of cases at the IHC requires a more cautious approach to judicial leave.

“Litigants were expecting their cases to be heard on the first working day. Many contacted my office to inquire about the absence of judges,” Tarar said. He added that the IHC administration should notify litigants and lawyers in advance about the non-availability of benches to prevent unnecessary inconvenience.

Winter vacations in the IHC officially ended on Thursday, but practically, normal court operations are not expected to resume until Monday when all judges return to their duties. The delay has sparked frustration among lawyers and petitioners, highlighting the need for better administrative communication in the court system.

Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2025