CJP Yahya Afridi Emphasizes District Judiciary Reforms and Infrastructure Upgrades
- Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi called for strengthening the country's district judiciary during an Islamabad conference, describing the local court tier as the backbone of the national...
- Following visits to remote judicial posts including Chitral, Gwadar, Sadiqabad, Bahawalnagar, and Nagarparkar after assuming office, CJP Afridi identified a significant disconnect between district courts and the National...
- Infrastructure improvements span multiple provinces, with CJP Afridi reporting that all tehsil courts in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad have been solarised.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi called for strengthening the country’s district judiciary during an Islamabad conference, describing the local court tier as the backbone of the national justice system and the primary point of contact between citizens and state institutions. According to reporting by Dawn and Dunya News, the chief justice stressed that public confidence cannot be inherited or proclaimed, but must be earned through integrity, competence, fairness, and compassion.
Assessing Disconnects and Funding Reforms in District Courts
Following visits to remote judicial posts including Chitral, Gwadar, Sadiqabad, Bahawalnagar, and Nagarparkar after assuming office, CJP Afridi identified a significant disconnect between district courts and the National Judicial Policy Making Committee (NJPMC), as reported by Dunya News. The NJPMC, established by a 2002 ordinance in coordination with the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan, holds the authority to formulate judicial policies and approve projects financed through the Access to Justice Fund. To resolve this bottleneck, the NJPMC appointed additional secretaries for each province to link the committee, high courts, and district judiciary, while imposing a strict 21-day timeline for project approval and fund disbursement. The committee requested a priority wishlist from district courts, identifying four primary needs: uninterrupted electricity, internet connectivity, essential women facilitation facilities, and clean water. While the NJPMC disbursed roughly Rs900 million from the Access to Justice Fund over a preceding 20-year span, the committee released Rs3.4 billion within a single year to finance these four core priorities, as noted by Dunya News.
Infrastructure Upgrades and Judicial Independence
Infrastructure improvements span multiple provinces, with CJP Afridi reporting that all tehsil courts in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad have been solarised. Furthermore, CJP Afridi advocated extending these utility provisions directly to bar associations rather than restricting power to courtrooms. Addressing judicial officers directly, the chief justice stated that the entire judiciary stands united to free judges from external pressure, offering assurances to honest judges while warning that protection will not extend to those seeking outside influence. The NJPMC updated codes of conduct and established procedures to handle extraneous interference, emphasizing that an independent judge must remain unapproachable.
Performance Metrics and Rule of Law Evaluation
CJP Afridi criticized Pakistan’s dismal standing in the Rule of Law Index, pointing out that five of the eight assessed pillars directly involve the judiciary. Highlighting his visit to Nagarparkar, he questioned how international indices evaluate performance when remote courts already feature solar power, internet connectivity, women facilitation centers, and clean water. To address reporting gaps, the NJPMC resolved to provide empirical performance and facility data to the relevant commission before future index releases. Additionally, the NJPMC commended the district judiciary for successfully disposing of over 1.46 million time-bound cases, as reported by The Nation.
