AJK judiciary, GB govt announce austerity measures

GILGIT/MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir Judiciary and Gilgit-Baltistan government on Thursday announced their decision to adopt austerity measures as announced by the Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on last Saturday.

Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) government declared spring vaction in schools in GB from March 16 to 31.

According to a notification issued by the GB Secretariat’s School Education Department, public and private schools will observe

spring holidays from March 16 to March 31. The notification, however, said examinations will continue as per the already announced schedules.

Meanwhile, the GB cabinet has also approved a four-day workweek from Monday to Thursday. Off days will be Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This will not apply to the banking sector and essential services.

Under the austerity measures announced by the prime minister, the government has ordered a 50 per cent reduction in fuel provision for official vehicles for the next two months. The restriction will apply to vehicles used by government officials, except those required for essential services such as buses, ambulances and motorbikes used for operational duties.

Additionally, 60 per cent of official vehicles in government departments will be grounded for two months. The notification also includes voluntary salary cuts for senior officials.

The chief minister, cabinet ministers and advisers have been requested to forego two days’ salary for the next two months. Government officers in BS-20 and above, or those earning Rs300,000 or more per month, may also voluntarily contribute two days’ salary during this period. However, officials working in the health and education sectors are exempt from this arrangement.

In light of the decision of the Administrative Committee of the Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court, the GB Chief Justice has approved important measures for saving fuel and the economy.

According to the notification issued in this regard, these measures will be effective immediately in the Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court and the district judiciary of Gilgit-Baltistan, on the lines of the Lahore High Court, until further orders.

According to the notification, a four-day working week has been implemented in the Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Court Gilgit and all the district courts of Gilgit-Baltistan.

Meanwhile, the Judicial Policy Making Committee of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on Thursday decided to reduce by 50 per cent the fuel quota allocated for vehicles used by serving and former judges and judicial officers for the next two months and to limit court hearings in the Supreme Court and High Court to four days a week as part of austerity measures.

The decisions were taken at an extraordinary meeting of the committee presided over by AJK Chief Justice Raja Saeed Akram, who also heads the region’s Judicial Policy Making Committee.

According to the decisions, the fuel quota for vehicles used by all serving and former judges and officers of the state judiciary will remain reduced by 50 pc for the next two months. Judges of the superior judiciary, however, will be allowed to use vehicles in unavoidable circumstances for security purposes.

The meeting also agreed that the Supreme Court and the High Court would hear cases only four days a week. It was further decided that the offices of the Supreme Court and High Court would remain open on Fridays and Saturdays with 50 per cent staff attendance, while Saturday would be observed as a holiday in the subordinate judiciary.

To ensure that the dispensation of justice was not affected, cases fixed for hearing on Fridays in the superior judiciary will be adjusted on the remaining four working days of the week. Similarly, cases scheduled for Saturdays in the subordinate judiciary will be rescheduled on other working days.

The committee also decided that cases at circuit benches would be heard through video link to ensure prompt dispensation of justice. During visits to circuit benches, officers and staff will travel in a single vehicle instead of using separate vehicles. Judges of the superior and subordinate judiciary will not claim travelling expenses during such tours.

The decisions taken at the meeting will come into immediate effect.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2026

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