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Delivering Justice For The Poor In Pakistan

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (20 December 2001) - A program to reform Pakistan's judicial and police systems will be boosted by three loans totaling US$350 million equivalent approved today by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

Two policy loans amounting to US$330 million will bolster the Government's Access to Justice Program, which will strengthen legal protection for all, and is specifically designed to empower the poor and other vulnerable groups. In addition, ADB will provide a US$20 million technical assistance loan to translate the Program's legal and policy framework into institutional and organizational arrangements.

The Access to Justice Program will enable the poor to exercise their rights guaranteed under the law and to protect their property from being taken away by the bureaucratic or political elite. It will promote awareness campaigns about legal rights in the simplified national language, Urdu. It will also provide, through a legal empowerment fund, free legal advice and advocacy for the poor by civil society groups, including lawyers and NGOs. The prohibitive cost of such services deprives the poor of protection. For women, the Program will promote affirmative opportunities to encourage the appointment of women judges and provide training courses in gender sensitization for the judiciary and the police.

"The poor are denied their legal rights and cannot even protect the few assets that they own. For example, poor street vendors struggling to get out of the poverty trap are often robbed by officials," says ADB Senior Counsel Hamid Sharif. "This program empowers the poor to protect themselves against those who consider themselves above the law. This is a vital component of poverty reduction."

The program will give meaning to the rule of law by providing resources to reform its main institutions, the judiciary and the police. It will strengthen judicial independence and also by making sure the judiciary is adequately funded to meet its mandate. The program will also improve governance and provide judicial training.

The program also aims for an independent, accountable, transparent, and professional police force that is free of political interference. It will help establish an independent prosecution service and create an independent police complaints authority. In addition, it will improve police-citizen relations and raise awareness of gender and human rights issues. "A legal and judicial system that can uphold the rule of law, check bureaucratic excesses and enforce contracts will contribute to an enabling environment for private sector-led growth," notes Mr. Sharif.

One ADB policy loan of US$243.2 million equivalent will be from its ordinary capital resources, while the second policy loan of US$86.8 million loan and the technical assistance loan of $20 million will be from its concessional Asian Development Fund. The Ministry of Law, Justice, Human Rights and Parliamentary Affairs will be the executing agency for the Program, which is due for completion by end-2004.

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