As part of ongoing stakeholder engagement, the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Yahya Afridi, held an interactive and consultative meeting with representatives of the legal fraternity at the Supreme Court of Pakistan. Mansoor Usman Awan, Attorney General for Pakistan, was also present at the meeting.
The meeting was attended by representatives of the Lahore High Court Bar Association, Lahore, led by Qasim Ijaz Summra, Secretary, and comprising Sohail Qaiser Tarar, Vice President, and Ali Raza Khokhar, Finance Secretary and others.
The representatives of the Bar Associations appreciated the convening of the consultative engagement and acknowledged the reform measures being undertaken in the justice sector. Discussions focused on judicial reforms, facilitation of lawyers and litigants, improvement of case management systems, reduction of procedural delays, enhancement of access to justice, and capacity-building opportunities for young lawyers.
The Chief Justice observed that the Bar constitutes a central stakeholder in the justice sector and emphasized that the effective and efficient dispensation of justice depends upon continued cooperation and constructive engagement between the Bench and the legal fraternity. The participants were also briefed on ongoing reform initiatives being undertaken through the Supreme Court of Pakistan, the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee (NJPMC), and the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP), including the digitization of judicial processes, e-filing, video-link hearings, Public Facilitation Centres, ADR and mediation frameworks, and other citizen-centric judicial reforms.
Particular emphasis was placed on Continuing Legal Education programmes being conducted by the Federal Judicial Academy. The Hon’ble Chief Justice informed the participants about online and in-person training programmes for young lawyers, including province-specific initiatives aimed at improving professional competence and legal practice standards.
The Chief Justice further briefed the delegations on reforms relating to Women Facilitation Centres, the establishment of e-libraries, the solarization of court complexes, the provision of clean drinking water, digital connectivity, and the modernization of judicial infrastructure at the district judiciary level.
The consultative engagement reaffirmed the shared institutional commitment of the Bench and the Bar to strengthening judicial independence, improving access to justice, enhancing institutional efficiency, and promoting a responsive, inclusive, and citizen-centric justice system in Pakistan.