ISLAMABAD: After remaining in place for more than three months, the austerity measures the Supreme Court had imposed due to disruptions in petroleum supplies amid the ongoing Iran-US conflict will be lifted from Monday.

On March 10, the apex court announced that the country’s courts would observe four-day workweeks. It further stated that the monthly ceiling of fuel allocated to judges and entitled officers should be reduced by 50 per cent.

A notification issued with the approval of Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi on Friday stated that the notification, dated March 10, 2026, has been withdrawn. “Accordingly, all austerity measures adopted in the said notification shall cease to have effect from June 15, 2026,” it added.

The government had announced unprecedented austerity measures on March 9 in the wake of the Middle East war to deal with the global energy crisis, which had arisen due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Following the government’s announcement, institutions including the Supreme Court, the National Asse­mbly, the Senate and others said they would follow suit.

A day earlier, the 60th meeting of the National Judicial Policy Making Committee presided over by the chief justice, considered proposals from the Pes­hawar High Court (PHC) and the Lahore High Court (LHC), seeking reconsideration of the policy of observing three weekly holidays in the district judiciary.

The committee observed that the policy had been introduced under the Judicial Austerity and Energy Conservation Stra­tegy approved by the NJPMC in its 58th meeting to promote prudent utilisation of resources and energy conservation.

During the meeting, the NJPMC appreciated the support of the federal government and considered the eased-out situation conveyed through the secretary of the law ministry.

Published in Dawn, June 13th, 2026