Women Facilitation Centres being expanded across country: CJP

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi stated the Gender-Responsive Justice Initiative 2027 will expand Women Facilitation Centres across the country to ensure accessible, integrated, and dignified services for women court users.

The participants of the Judicial Fellowship Programme, comprising judicial officers from across Pakistan, called on the CJ at the Supreme Court on Wednesday. The Fellowship Programme is being conducted under the auspices of the Sindh Judicial Academy in collaboration with the Research Society of International Law (RSIL).

The CJ briefed the participants on the judiciary’s ongoing reform agenda aimed at building a citizen-centric, technology-enabled, transparent, and efficient justice system.

Highlighting initiatives being implemented under the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee (NJPMC), the CJ shared that district courts across Pakistan are being equipped with solar energy systems, e-libraries, reliable internet connectivity, clean drinking water facilities, and safe spaces for women litigants through the Access to Justice Development Fund, with completion targeted by August 2026.

During the meeting, the CJ was informed that the Fellowship Programme has been launched in furtherance of the CJP reform vision to promote judicial excellence through cross-provincial collaboration, professional capacity-building, research-based learning, judicial well-being, and exposure to diverse judicial practices.

Appreciating the initiative, the Chief Justice observed that such programmes foster institutional cohesion, facilitate the exchange of best practices, and strengthen the professional capacity of judicial officers.

The CJ underscored that continuous judicial education and inter-provincial engagement are vital to enhancing the quality, consistency, and credibility of the justice system.

The interaction concluded with a lively question-and-answer session, during which the Hon’ble CJ responded to participants’ queries and encouraged judicial officers to remain committed to innovation, integrity, and service-oriented justice.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026