Access to Justice Program
(shah nawaz Bokhari, Islamabad)
Access to Justice Program (AJP)
was approved in December 2001, and launched with the assistance of the Asian
Development Bank providing US$350 million loan to support the Government of
Pakistan to reform the country’s judicial, legal, police, prosecution and
administrative sectors. It is the largest single justice sector program in the
world, aimed to assist Government of Pakistan in (a) providing security and
ensuring equal protection of the law to its citizens, (b) securing and
sustaining entitlements and thereby reducing the Poor’s vulnerability’ (c)
strengthening the legitimacy of state institutions; and (d) creating conditions
conducive to pro-poor growth, especially by fostering investors’ confidence. The
Access to Justice Program is composed of the following:
The Program Assistance
US$ 330 million are Program Loan resources which are provided directly to the
Government of Pakistan as budgetary support to finance the strengthening of the
justice sector. The release of Program Loan resources from the Asian Development
Bank are attached to the successful implementation of an agreed number of policy
actions (64) within a particular time-frame. On the successful implementation of
the agreed policy actions, the Asian Development Bank releases an amount agreed
against a particular tranche directly to the Government of Pakistan.
Program Loan resources are used to address the chronic under-resourcing of the
justice sector through infrastructure and other capital intensive needs.
The Access to Justice Development Fund
From the Program Loan resources Federal Share, US$ 25 million have been used to
establish an endowment Access to Justice Development Fund managed by the Law and
Justice Commission of Pakistan.
The Technical Assistance
The Technical Loan resources, US$ 20 million, are used to support policy action
initiatives supported by the Program Loan through engaging consulting services,
training and workshops, public awareness campaigns, and necessary equipment and
materials to strengthen the following soft reform outcomes:
Delay Reduction
Legal Empowerment
Police and Public Safety
Administrative Justice
Fiscal Reform
Implementation of the policy actions is strengthened through Program schemes
being complemented with soft reforms supported through the Technical Assistance,
for example, capacity building focusing on enhancing knowledge and skills,
formulating occupational standards. Strengthening transparency and disclosure,
including public grievance redress, for effective monitoring and evaluation of
justice service delivery. Automation of the justice sector; up-dating and
expanding the knowledge base and infrastructure to ensure access to the latest
information. To strengthen citizen empowerment the focus is on strengthening the
provision of information to enable citizen participation through oversight and
public grievance redress.