ISLAMABAD: The National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee (NJPMC) approved National Judicial Reform Framework aligned with the World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index, marking a transformative step towards integrating evidence-based judicial reforms across Pakistan.
The framework seeks to strengthen accessibility, transparency and predictability by introducing measurable performance standards, internationally recognized benchmarks and a robust institutional mechanism for continuous performance evaluation.
The decision was taken on Tuesday at the 61stmeeting of the NJPMC, chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi. It was attended by the Chief Justices of the High Courts, while the Federal Minister for Law and Justice and the Secretary, Ministry of Law and Justice participated on special invitation. In order to make policy formulation inclusive, Pir Muhammad Masood Chishti, Vice Chairman of the Pakistan Bar Council, Haroon ur Rasheed, President and Malik Zahid Aslam Awan, General Secretary of the Supreme Court Bar Association were also taken onboard.
The Committee resolved that the High Courts may adopt the National Judicial Reform Framework together with the Self-Assessment Checklist of the International Framework for Court Excellence (IFCE), with such modifications as may be considered appropriate. The High Courts will establish institutional mechanisms for periodic assessment and quarterly reporting of reform progress to ensure sustained implementation.
It was also resolved that the Secretariat of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan, in coordination with Ministry of Law and Justice, shall establish a dedicated cell for mapping interventions under the Framework, which shall be presented for review in the next meeting to be held on October, 8, 2026.
The Committee further directed the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP) Secretariat to identify and validate, in consultation with the High Courts and other justice sector institutions, appropriate Rule of Law indicators for phased integration into the National Judicial Analytics Dashboard (NJAD).
The Secretariat will also develop, in collaboration with the National Information Technology Board (NITB), a dedicated technology platform for generating periodic progress reports, coordinate capacity-building initiatives and undertake an annual assessment of Pakistan’s performance under the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index, identifying institutional strengths, implementation gaps and recommendations for further reforms.
The Committee observed that judicial reforms must increasingly be driven by objective data, measurable outcomes and internationally accepted standards to promote institutional excellence, strengthen public confidence and ensure continuous improvement in justice delivery.
The Committee also reviewed the progress made by the federal government regarding the proposed Commission on Enforced Disappearances. The federal minister for Law and Justice briefed that some former Judges of the Supreme Court are being considered for heading the proposed Commission and assured that its composition and finalisation of its Terms of Reference will be completed soon, under intimation to the Committee. The NJPMC appreciated the measures undertaken and emphasised strict compliance with the legal requirement of producing detained persons before the competent court within the prescribed timeframe.
The meeting concluded with the Committee reiterating its resolve to pursue sustained judicial reforms, strengthen institutional coordination and enhance access to justice through innovation, evidence-based governance and technology-enabled service delivery.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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