Pakistan advances its justice reform initiatives through mediation as a cost-effective and efficient alternative to long, drawn-out court proceedings. The effort has received a soft grant from the European Union (EU) worth €20 million. Together with the partner organization United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Federal Judicial Academy (FJA), a week-long training workshop was held, where 24 judges, eight of whom are women received training in mediation skills. The workshop was conducted by experts from the Singapore International Mediation Centre (SIMC) and addressed more than 2.1 million pending cases before the judicial system.
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Supreme Court Justice Mansoor Ali Shah has emphasized mediation as “the future of Pakistan,” as it would reduce case pendency and save the relationship between the disputants. He has also supported the Court-annexed Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) model as a way to incorporate mediation into the judicial system. There are, meanwhile, mediation centers created by the EU-funded ‘Deliver Justice Programme’, previously established in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. For instance, the Sariab Mediation Centre in Balochistan has settled cases in an average period of 2-3 weeks, significantly alleviating court burdens.
The other mediation centers planned will be built in Zhob, Uthal, and Ziarat by 2025. These efforts have been appreciated by international partners including the EU and UNDP. Both Jeroen Willems of the EU Delegation and Van Nguyen of UNDP Pakistan were optimistic about the program’s promise for faster, more affordable justice. This is therefore a giant stride toward changing the justice system in Pakistan to make it more efficient and accessible to all citizens.