QUETTA: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi said on Monday that under the auspices of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP), a new initiative has been launched to provide assistance to poor litigants to hire legal representation at state expense at all levels of the judiciary, from magistrate courts to the Supreme Court.
Justice Yahya Afridi, who is also LJCP chairman, presided over a high-level meeting in Quetta to review institutional linkages between Balochistan’s Bar associations and the LJCP in strengthening justice delivery.
The meeting was attended among others by Chief Justice of Balochistan High Court Justice Rozi Khan. Welcoming the participants, the CJP acknowledged their critical role in the justice system. He informed the participants that he visited the remotest districts of every province and found gap in coordination between bar associations and the Law and Justice Commission as funds were available with the commission but they were not properly utilised for uplift of district judiciary.
As the LJCP has limited outreach capacity, the commission has decided to post a senior representative in every province who would sit in high court. These representatives will serve as front desk and maintain liaison to raise awareness among district bar associations, identify local priority areas, and supervise ongoing justice sector initiatives at the grassroots level. The bars may present their development projects to district development committees.
Moreover, representatives of federal and provincial development departments have also been taken on board to ensure speedy execution to avoid duplication of resources. Emphasising the importance of synergy, the CJP urged bar representatives to sensitise their respective bar associations about these developments and to proactively engage in these reform initiatives.
He further directed that all support and facilities extended to the bar associations by the federal government must be streamlined and structured to avoid duplication and ensure better cost for money spent.
The CJP also called upon provincial line departments to remain actively engaged with the resident additional secretary of the commission for timely and effective implementation of district-level projects. He noted with concern the lack of infrastructure, including inconsistent power supply and digital integration, in less developed districts, and stressed the need for targeted interventions in these areas.
He also announced that, under the auspices of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan, a new initiative has been launched to provide assistance to poor litigants to hire legal representation at state expense at all levels of the judiciary, from magistrate courts to the Supreme Court.
Remuneration of up to Rs50,000 will be given through district legal empowerment committees. It aims to ensure equitable access to justice for all citizens.
The bars may nominate the qualified lawyers for this purpose to district judges, high courts, and send the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Moreover, the CJP encouraged the bar representatives to ensure that their members benefit from the Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programmes offered by the Federal Judicial Academy.
He instructed that the training calendar be widely shared among bar associations to promote professional development. The bars may appoint focal persons for liaison with the Federal Judicial Academy for training programmes.
He also briefed them about the decisions taken in the recent meeting of the National Judicial Policy Making Committee under the umbrella of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan. The representatives of the bar associations expressed point of view on various initiatives of the commission. Their concerns were noted and will be further discussed in the next meeting of this forum at Karachi.
They thanked the CJP for acknowledging the challenges faced by litigants and legal practitioners alike. Attaullah Khan Langove, President High Court Bar Association Balochistan apprised the meeting of various facilities extended by the provincial government to the bar association across the province and appreciated the Balochistan government for providing 100 Scotties for female lawyers, digital library at High Court Bar, shuttle services from the High Court to the District Court Quetta, housing scheme of 100 acres for lawyers of the High Court of Balochistan and grant in aid by the federal government to 28 district bars of Balochistan and the High Court Bar Association. All federal and provincial stakeholders present assured their full cooperation and support in advancing the shared objective of accessible and efficient justice.
