LAHORE – The Lahore High Court (LHC) held a flag-hoisting ceremony on Thursday to mark Pakistan’s 79th Independence Day, with Chief Justice Justice Aalia Neelum hoisting the national flag at the historic building of the high court.
Justices Abid Aziz Sheikh, Syed Shahbaz Ali Rizvi, Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal and Tariq Saleem Sheikh, along with other judges, attended the ceremony. LHC officers, staff members and their families were also present.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Justice Aalia Neelum said it was a matter of pride and happiness to celebrate the 79th Independence Day, noting that the country’s freedom had been achieved through the tireless efforts and sacrifices of Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the nation’s elders.
She said the day called for a renewed commitment to working in accordance with the Quaid’s vision and making Pakistan a more dignified, prosperous and respected country.
The chief justice said the Punjab judiciary was striving to ensure the delivery of justice in line with Quaid-e-Azam’s vision. She stressed that the best way to honour the ideals behind Pakistan’s creation was to make the justice system more accessible, effective and accountable to the people.
“Our objective is to make the justice system more accessible, effective and accountable,” Justice Neelum said, adding that continuous efforts were being made to make the process of justice delivery faster and more efficient.
She said cases had been categorised under the case management system, producing positive results at both the district judiciary and Lahore High Court levels.
According to the chief justice, the LHC disposed of more than 173,000 cases in 2025, the highest number of cases decided in a single year in the court’s history. Meanwhile, more than eight million cases have been decided by Punjab’s district judiciary over the past two years.
Chief Justice Neelum acknowledged that clearing such a large backlog was a major challenge but said judges and staff had worked tirelessly to ensure timely and quality justice.
She said model courts established across Punjab were also performing effectively. As a result, cases instituted before 2023 at the sessions level had been cleared in 40 percent of the province’s districts. She expressed confidence that the remaining cases pending up to 2023 would also be decided soon.
The chief justice said case management and other information technology systems were also helping facilitate access to justice for lawyers and litigants.
On Independence Day, the CJ called for renewed commitment to Quaid-e-Azam’s guiding principles of Faith, Unity and Discipline, saying that their practical implementation was essential to achieving justice.
CJ Neelum also pledged that the judiciary would continue to discharge its responsibilities honestly and in accordance with the Constitution, making full use of its abilities and resources to serve the country and nation.
She expressed the hope that Pakistan would continue its journey of progress and remain strong and prosperous forever.
The ceremony concluded with the prayers for the security, stability and progress of Pakistan. LHC Registrar Raja Qamar-uz-Zaman conducted the proceedings.
