ISLAMABAD: The National Judicial (Policy-Making) Committee (NJPMC) on Tuesday approved, in principle, the National Judicial Reform Framework (NJRF), aligned with the World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index, marking a significant step towards integrating evidence-based judicial reforms across Pakistan.

The framework seeks to strengthen accessibility, transparency and predictability by introducing measurable performance standards, internationally recognised benchmarks and a robust institutional mechanism for continuous performance evaluation.

The decision was taken at the 61st meeting of the NJPMC, chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi at the Supreme Court.

Besides the chief justices of the high courts, Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar, law secretary, and representatives of legal fraternity also attended the meeting to ensure inclusive policy formulation.

To implement the framework, the committee resolved that the high courts may adopt the NJRF along with the Self-Assessment Checklist of the International Framework for Court Excellence, with such modifications as they deem appropriate. The high courts will establish institutional mechanisms for periodic assessments and submit quarterly progress reports to ensure sustained implementation.

The secretariat will also develop, in collaboration with the National IT Board, a dedicated technology platform to generate periodic progress reports, coordinate capacity-building initiatives and conduct an annual assessment of Pakistan’s performance under the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index.

Published in Dawn, July 22nd, 2026