Pakistan’s chief Justice pushes for district court improvements
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Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi addressed a conference in Islamabad, calling for investment in district courts as essential to the country’s justice system.
He explained that these courts often represent a citizen’s first interaction with the state, so strengthening them builds public trust. Afridi detailed recent visits to courts in Chitral, Gwadar, and other remote areas, finding a disconnect between local courts and the National Judicial Policy Making Committee (NJPMC).
The NJPMC, established in 2002, controls funds from the Access to Justice Fund and approves projects proposed by district courts. Afridi reported that projects previously faced delays of three to four months for approval, and some were abandoned due to rising costs. To address this, the NJPMC appointed additional secretaries for each province to improve communication and set a 21-day approval timeline. District courts identified uninterrupted electricity, internet access, facilities for women, and clean water as their most pressing needs.
The NJPMC responded by allocating Rs3.4 billion (approximately $12.8 million USD) to these projects, a significant increase from the Rs900 million ($3.4 million USD) disbursed over the previous 20 years. Afridi also announced steps to ensure judicial independence and improve working conditions, and challenged a low ranking Pakistan received on the Rule of Law Index, promising to provide data to support a more accurate assessment.
