ISLAMABAD, Sep 01 (APP): Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi on Tuesday stressed the need for making the justice system faster, transparent, accessible, effective and citizen-friendly while addressing the inauguration ceremony of the Public Facilitation Centre at the Balochistan High Court. The Centre was inaugurated by Chief Justice of the Balochistan High Court Justice Muhammad Kamran Khan Malakhail in the presence of the Chief Justice of Pakistan. It has …
CJP stresses citizen-centric justice at inauguration of public facilitation centre at BHC
ISLAMABAD, Sep 01 (APP): Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi on Tuesday stressed the need for making the justice system faster, transparent, accessible, effective and citizen-friendly while addressing the inauguration ceremony of the Public Facilitation Centre at the Balochistan High Court.
The Centre was inaugurated by Chief Justice of the Balochistan High Court Justice Muhammad Kamran Khan Malakhail in the presence of the Chief Justice of Pakistan. It has been established to bring essential judicial services closer to litigants, lawyers and the general public and make their interaction with the justice system more accessible, efficient and dignified.
Before the ceremony, Fateha was offered for Shaheed District and Sessions Judge Abdul Hakeem Kakar and other martyred members of the legal fraternity. Chief Justice Yahya Afridi paid tribute to judges and lawyers who lost their lives in the discharge of their duties, observing that the most meaningful tribute to their sacrifices was to uphold the rule of law and continue the mission of providing justice to the people.
Justice Muhammad Kamran Khan Malakhail said the Centre had been established within six months to facilitate litigants and lawyers in accessing judicial services and basic facilities.
He said the facility had been designed according to the practical requirements of litigants and lawyers, enabling them to obtain assistance and reliable information through a clear and coordinated process.
He emphasized that effective functioning of the Centre would require discipline, adherence to prescribed procedures and cooperation among all stakeholders. Referring to security standard operating procedures, he said their purpose was to ensure the safety of judges, lawyers, litigants and other persons visiting the court premises.
Chief Justice Yahya Afridi congratulated the Chief Justice and judges of the Balochistan High Court on establishing the Centre. He observed that technology and modern infrastructure were means of judicial reform, while the ultimate objective was to make justice delivery faster, transparent, accessible, effective and citizen-friendly.
He stressed that sustainable judicial reforms also required close cooperation between the Bench and the Bar.
The Chief Justice expressed the hope that the Centre would serve as the first milestone in a broader institutional effort, emphasizing that its true purpose would be achieved when similar Public Facilitation Centres were established at district and tehsil levels.
Such expansion, he said, would enable citizens, particularly those living away from major urban centres, to access essential judicial services and guidance closer to their homes.
He added that the initiative formed part of the policy direction of the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee. Chief Justice Yahya Afridi further said that under the Access to Justice Development Fund, the judiciary was focusing on four essential facilities across courts in the country: uninterrupted electricity or solar power, reliable internet connectivity, appropriate and dignified facilities for women, and clean drinking water.
He said the initiative reflected the judiciary’s continued commitment to narrowing the gap between courts and citizens and improving the delivery of justice.
