Hon’ble Mr. Justice Yahya Afridi, Chief Justice of Pakistan and Chairman, Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP), chaired a high-level meeting today 14 .7.2025 at the Supreme Court Branch Registry to review institutional linkages between the Bar associations of Baluchistan province and the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan in strengthening justice delivery.
The meeting was attended by Hon’ble Mr. Justice Rozi Khan, Chief Justice, High Court of Balochistan, Registrar, High Court of Balochistan, Mian Muhammad Rauf Atta, President SCBAP, Mr. Amanullah, Chairman Executive Committee, Balochistan Bar Council Quetta, Mr. Rahib Buledi, Vice Chairman Executive Committee Balochistan Bar Council, Mr. Yasin Azad, Chairman Executive Committee Pakistan Bar Council, Mr. Tahir Warraich Vice Chairman Executive Committee Pakistan Bar Council Quetta, Mr. Khalil Ahmed Panezai, Member, Balochistan Bar Council, Mr. Qasim Ali Gojizai, Chairman Education Committee, Balochistan Bar Council, and Mr Attatullah Khan Langov, President Balochistan High Court Bar Association, Representatives of Ministry of Law and Justice, Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan; Secretary Law department and representatives of Planning and Development Department, Government of Balochistan including Chief Economist.
Welcoming the participants, the Hon’ble Chief Justice of Pakistan acknowledged their critical role in the justice sector. He informed the participants that he visited the remotest districts of every province and found gap in coordination between the bar associations and the Law and Justice Commission as funds were available with the Law Commission but they were not properly utilized for uplift of district judiciary. Bar Associations requirements of funding are in development projects as they are in judicial complex. As the Law Commission has limited outreach capacity, the Commission has decided to post a senior level representative in every province who would sit in, the High Courts. These representatives will serve as front disk 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.
Emphasizing the importance of synergy, the Chief Justice urged bar representatives to sensitize 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 Chief Justice 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.
The Hon’ble Chief Justice 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 upto 50000 rupees 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 Hon’ble Chief Justice encouraged the bar representatives to ensure that their members benefit from the Continuing Legal Education (CLE) programs 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 programs. 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 representative of the bar association expressed their point of view on the various initiatives of the Commission. Their concerns were heard and noted and will be further discussed in the next meeting of this forum at Karachi. They thanked the Hon’ble Chief Justice for acknowledging the challenges faced by litigants and legal practitioners alike. Mr. Attaullah Khan Langov, President High Court Bar Association Balochistan apprised the meeting about the various facilities extended by provincial government to the bar association across the province and appreciated the provincial government Balochistan for providing 100 scooties for female lawyers, digital library at High Court Bar, Shuttle services from High Court to District Court Quetta, Housing Scheme of 100 acres for lawyers of High Court of Balochistan and grant in aid by the federal government to 28 districts 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.
