ISLAMABAD: IBA’s Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre (IBA-ADRIC) successfully conducted an International Mediators’ Training Programme from January 19 till January 23, 2026, at the Islamabad High Court Bar Association (IHCBA), Islamabad. The five-day intensive programme was organized in collaboration with the Islamabad High Court Bar Association and the Judiciary of Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) and conducted in partnership with Essential Mediation Solutions (EMS), United Kingdom.
It brought together an unprecedented and diverse cohort of judges, lawyers, business professionals, government officials, and students, making it the largest mediation training cohort in Pakistan to date, all learning under one roof.
The training was led by a distinguished panel of International and National Experts, including Emma McAndry, Founder & Director, Essential Mediation Solutions (UK) and an International Mediator; Judge Sufiyan Rana, Award-winning Judge of the UK Judiciary, and Bulent Sohail, Head, IBA-ADRIC.
The programme comprised 40 hours of structured training over five days, aligned with Pakistan’s Mediation Accreditation Rules, 2023, and international best practices prescribed by the International Mediation Institute (IMI) and the Civil Mediation Council (CMC), UK. Upon successful completion, participants became eligible to submit their profiles to the Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of Pakistan, for notification as accredited mediators, contributing directly to the institutionalization of mediation nationwide.
The closing ceremony was graced by distinguished dignitaries, including Faisal Mumtaz Rathore, Prime Minister, Azad Jammu & Kashmir; Justice Sardar Liaquat Shaheen Hussain, Chief Justice, High Court of AJK, Syed Wajid Gillani, President, Islamabad High Court Bar Association; Manzoor Ahmed Jajja, Secretary, IHCBA; Asif Irfan, Vice President Islamabad Bar Council and Raja M. Aleem Khan Abbasi, Member, Islamabad Bar Council. Sardar Tahir Mehmood, President Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Barrister Usama Malik, Director, Directorate of Legal Affairs.
Additionally, Yasmin Batliwala, CEO, Advocates for International Development (A4ID), and Ms. Aleena Nasir from the Commercial Law Development Programme (CLDP), U.S. Department of Commerce, Washington D.C., joined the ceremony virtually and shared valuable insights on the global relevance of mediation and access to justice.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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