Coronavirus: PBC urges SC to allow court proceedings to resume

Vice-Chairman Pakistan Bar Council Abid Saqi has urged the Supreme Court to allow courts to return to their normal functions after the apex court permitted reopening of shops across Pakistan.

Saqi, in a statement on Tuesday, said: " It is desirable that all the courts in the country should start their normal functioning and resume hearing of normal and routine cases also."

The apex court, a day earlier, had ordered the reopening of shopping malls and markets for seven days a week, which were earlier shut down during the lockdown imposed to curb the coronavirus pandemic.

The five-member larger bench of the Supreme Court had been hearing a suo moto case regarding measures taken against the virus outbreak.

Read more: SC orders shopping malls, markets to remain open seven days a week

Reflecting on the decision, he said: "Yesterday's Order passed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court setting aside the government decision to close markets and business centers and requiring the Federal as well as provincial governments to allow the immediate opening of all the shops, markets, and shopping malls throughout the week without any restriction of timing is appreciable as that may ensure the earning of livelihood by trading class and the workforce of hundreds and thousands of people attached therewith."

"The Hon'ble Chief Justice of Pakistan and Chief Justices of all the High Courts are, therefore, requested to pass appropriate orders for the immediate reopening of all the courts at different levels to start normal functioning and hearing of all the routine cases for safeguarding the valuable rights and interests of litigants which would also strengthen the system of dispensation of justice," the statement added.