Supreme Court Justice Qazi Faiz Isa has suggested that the government take back official vechicles provided to judges, bureaucrats and military officers and to spend that money on transport infrastructure, particularly bicycle and pedestrian routes.

The jurist said this while addressing the ninth edition of the International Judicial Conference in Islamabad.

“We need practical solutions to combat climate change,” he said. “The poor are doing their bit as they walk on foot,” he said while urging the government to take back official vehicles.

Justice Isa’s suggestion comes as Pakistan deals with unprecedented floods that at one point had submerged a third of the country and affected over 35 million or every seventh Pakistani while claiming over 1,600 lives so far. This followes a searing heatwave a few months earlier that claimed dozens of lives.

Justice Ijazul Ahsan, another jurist at Pakistan’s apex court, underscored the importance of legislation to develop an alternate solution for conflict resolution on economic matters.

“If there is a gap in the law, it is not possible for the courts to work,” he remarked.

He added that there were opportunities for foreign investors in various fields. “Instead of seeking the intervention of the courts, there should be awareness of the arbitration system.”

He added that such cases unnecessarily increase the burden on the courts.