The Minister of State for Law & Justice, Barrister Aqeel Malik, visited the International Mediation and Arbitration Centre (IMAC), an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Law & Justice. During the visit, the Registrar IMAC Mr. Ehsan Ullah Khan briefed the Minister on IMAC’s mandate, activities, and strategic direction.
Barrister Aqeel Malik emphasized that Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is no longer a choice but a necessity, particularly in view of the overwhelming backlog of cases in the country’s courts. He noted that IMAC is poised to play a crucial role in facilitating efficient dispute resolution mechanisms, both domestically and internationally.
Highlighting Pakistan’s expanding trade relations with Central Asian states, Azerbaijan, Turkey, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka, the Minister stated that the demand for a robust institution like IMAC has grown significantly. He praised IMAC’s nationwide awareness and training programs aimed at strengthening ADR capacity among legal professionals and stakeholders.
The Minister also proposed the inclusion of negotiation skills in future training modules to better equip participants for real-world dispute resolution scenarios.
The briefing was also attended by the Project Director IMAC Ms. Aisha Rasool and Mr. Adil Anwar, Director General of the Legal Aid and Justice Authority.
The visit reaffirmed the government’s resolve to institutionalize ADR in Pakistan as a strategic reform to improve the justice delivery system and support economic and trade development.
