ISLAMABAD: The National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and financed by the European Union (EU) under the Huqooq-e-Pakistan II project, concluded the first-ever “Rewiring Rights: Hackathon for Justice” with an exciting finale on Thursday.
The four-day programme, organized with support from Accelerate Prosperity (AP) and the National Incubation Center for Aerospace Technologies (NICAT), brought together young innovators from across Pakistan to design technology-driven solutions for improving the country’s justice system. On the last day, four finalists – LINC, Hukm, Raah-e-Adl, and Stelalliance – pitched their innovative solutions to support and strengthen the work of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
Building on the policy insights from NCHR’s national conference “From Promise to Action: Advancing SDG 16 for Justice and Reform,” held in April 2025 in partnership with UNDP, the hackathon translated those outcomes into youth-led innovations aimed at making justice more accessible, efficient, and rights-based.
The competition concluded with the announcement of the winning team HUKM. The HUKM Team members included Minahil Rukhsar, Muhammad Numan Umar, Faiza Mazhar & Maryam Rukhsar. HUKM’s solution focused on a Centralised Collaborative System for the Supreme Court of Pakistan, designed to automate and streamline judicial workflows.
The runner up team was LINC LINC (Legal Interdepartmental Network & Collaboration. The LINC team members included Zafar Ali Habib, Fatima Mir & Haider Ali. LINC is a unified digital platform built to modernize the Pakistani Courts by replacing its complex, paper-based system.
In her remarks, Chairperson NCHR, Rabiya Javeri Agha, said that, “What we’ve witnessed here is more than innovation — it’s a glimpse into the future of justice. A future where technology is not a privilege but a tool for empowerment where young people lead the charge in making governance smarter, rights stronger, and society more inclusive.”
Speaking at the event, Dr Samuel Rizk, Resident Representative UNDP Pakistan, said that, “Technology is most powerful when it serves people, not just markets. This hackathon reflects exactly that spirit. The UNDP is proud to work with NCHR and the EU to turn ideas into action through the creativity and drive of young minds shaping the future of justice in Pakistan.”
Barrister Aqeel Malik, Minister of State for Law and Justice, said that the Ministry of Law and Justice remains committed to supporting such endeavours. “Reform is not possible over a standalone event. It is a process, and a journey, that demands both institutional resolve and fresh thinking. Initiatives like this wonderful hackathon reaffirm our faith that the next generation is ready to lead that change.”
He said that technology, when thoughtfully applied, can become a tool for transparency, efficiency, and accountability.
“But more importantly, it can make justice human again, by reducing barriers, simplifying processes, and restoring trust between citizens and institutions. “Your ideas in this hackathon show that youth-led innovation can complement institutional reform, and that the path to digital justice lies in collaboration between government, civil society, and the private sector.”
The event was attended by representatives from Jazz, the Malala Fund, United Nations agencies, and other international and local stakeholders. An all-women panel of judges, featuring Jehan Ara, founder of Katalyst Labs, Sarah Belal, Executive Director of Justice Project Pakistan, and Rohma Labeeb, Country Director of Accelerate Prosperity, evaluated the finalists, ensuring a balanced approach that blended legal insight with market perspectives.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
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