ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Tuesday inaugurated its first Court-Annexed Mediation Centre, marking a significant step towards strengthening access to justice through the timely, affordable, and consensual resolution of disputes.
The Centre has been established in collaboration with the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to provide litigants with a structured, court-supported forum for mediation in appropriate cases. It offers an alternative pathway to conventional litigation, enabling parties to resolve disputes more efficiently while retaining control over the outcome.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by the Chief Justice of Pakistan, judges of the Supreme Court, members of the Supreme Court ADR Committee, members of the ADR Task Force, Ambassador of the European Union Delegation in Pakistan, representatives of UNDP, Secretary, Ministry of Law and Justice, Chairman, Federal Board of Revenue, representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, members of the Bar, accredited mediators and officers of the Supreme Court.
The inauguration plaque of the Centre was unveiled by the Supreme Court ADR Committee, headed by Justice Shahid Waheed, with Justice Muhammad Shafi Siddiqui and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb as members, along with the Ambassador of the European Union Delegation in Pakistan and Officer-in-Charge, UNDP-Pakistan, in the esteemed presence of the Hon’ble Chief Justice of Pakistan.
Speaking on the occasion, Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb highlighted the journey towards establishing a comprehensive ADR ecosystem within the justice system. He emphasized that the institutionalization of mediation represents an important step in broadening the avenues available to litigants for resolution of disputes.
The Ambassador of the European Union Delegation in Pakistan and the representative of UNDP-Pakistan reaffirmed their respective organizations’ commitment to supporting justice sector reforms, welcoming the establishment of the Court-Annexed Mediation Centre as an important institutional development and emphasizing the role of mediation and alternative dispute resolution in promoting access to justice, reducing the burden on courts, enhancing efficiency and enabling timely and mutually acceptable resolution of disputes.
Justice ShahidWaheed, Chairman, Supreme Court ADR Committee, underscored the important role of mediation and Alternative Dispute Resolution in providing timely, cost-effective and effective remedies to litigants. He emphasized that mediation can help reduce unnecessary litigation, facilitate earlier resolution of disputes and enable judicial resources to remain focused on matters requiring formal adjudication.
The Centre is intended to strengthen the institutional use of mediation within the justice system by reducing avoidable court congestion, facilitating earlier resolution of disputes, preserving relationships between parties and enabling judicial resources to remain focused on matters requiring adjudication.
To support the sustainable operation of the Centre, the Supreme Court of Pakistan and the Legal Aid Society also signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) covering technical support, capacity building and operational assistance.
The initiative forms part of the Supreme Court’s broader citizen-centric reform agenda, which seeks to make justice delivery more timely, affordable, accessible and responsive to public needs, while promoting a more efficient and people-centred judicial system.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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