CJP orders NESPAK to start work on women facilitation centres

Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi has directed the National Engineering Services Pakistan (NESPAK) to begin work on Women Facilitation Centres, with the first phase providing four centres, one in each province.

The chief justice, who chairs the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan, reviewed progress on the project at a meeting at the Supreme Court on Thursday. He said setting up the centres in all four provinces and in Islamabad was a priority for 2026-27.

Work under the judicial facilitation programme for 2025-26 focused on uninterrupted electricity for courts and bar associations, e-libraries with internet access, clean drinking water and women-centric facilities, he said. Those facilities had been provided to courts and bar associations across the country, including Islamabad.

The centres are planned as one-window facilities where women can get guidance in a safe and accessible setting. They will have reception and guidance desks, waiting areas, washrooms, private consultation rooms, legal assistance, and space for mediation and alternative dispute resolution. They will also offer psychosocial support and referral services, accessible entrances and ramps for women with disabilities, and rooms for interaction with children where needed.

The meeting was told that an All-Pakistan design competition held under the Institute of Architects Pakistan produced three winning designs, which have been shared with all High Courts for implementation according to local needs. Consultations with the relevant High Courts are complete and space has been identified for the first four centres.

NESPAK and the IAP Islamabad-Rawalpindi Chapter will coordinate the design and implementation with the High Courts. The Supreme Court Registrar, LJCP Secretary Capt. (Retd) Mushtaq Ahmad, High Court representatives, architects and NESPAK officials attended. Dunya News reported that Balochistan High Court Registrar Nasir Khan, former IAP chairperson Ruvayda Hameed and NESPAK General Manager Faisal Majeed were present, and that LJCP resident additional secretaries posted in the four provinces and the architects behind the three winning designs joined by video link.

In a separate meeting, the chief justice, as chairperson of the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee, consulted provincial bar councils, the Islamabad Bar Council and the Supreme Court Bar Association on the proposed e-filing pilot for family cases and on the centres. Representatives of the Punjab, Sindh, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan bar councils attended, along with office-bearers of the Supreme Court Bar Association.

Participants reviewed draft e-filing templates developed under the proposed National Unified E-Filing and Electronic Judicial Record System, for pilot use in family cases at selected judicial stations. The chief justice asked each bar council and the Islamabad Bar Council to nominate two bar members to review the templates before the pilot launches.

He said the system should be practical, effective and user-friendly, reflecting the experience of practising lawyers and the needs of litigants. The bar representatives welcomed the e-filing plan and the centres, saying both could improve access to justice, particularly for women.