QUETTA, April 15: The Asian Development Bank will provide $350 million loan on easy terms to Pakistan for judicial reforms, said team leader of ADB’s Judicial Reforms Project, Mr Liveing Stan Armtage, here on Sunday.

He was speaking at the inaugural session of first Provincial Judicial Conference of Balochistan High Court which was held here by the ADB with the cooperation of the BHC in which various essays and theses were read out regarding the subject, “Access to Justice Programme”.

Speaking at the conference as chief guest, BHC Chief Justice Mr Justice Raja Fayyaz Ahmed said judiciary was an important pillar of a state whose most important obligation was to provide surety to citizens regarding their rights and freedom.

He further said that despite establishment of several law reforms commissions after 1958, the problem of unnecessary delay in judicial decisions could not be resolved and its recommendations were not implemented completely. The proposals which would be presented through this platform for the improvement of judiciary and provision of justice to lower level, would be later on presented before the Chief Justices Committee for approval, he added.

He stressed the need to further improve the current judicial system regarding administrative affairs, monitor subordinate courts, extend judicial system and enhance its capacity so that people could get immediate and easy justice. He also emphasised the need to remove drawbacks in current laws and to make them in accordance with today’s requirements.

Regarding hearing of judicial references and judgments, he said Balochistan led other provinces in this connection and only a few cases were still undecided which were expected to be decided soon by judicial officials.

BHC judge Mr Justice Amannullah Khan, Justice (retd) K.M.A Samdani, Justice (retd) Saifur Rehman and Joint Secretary of federal law ministry Mr. Z.A Jauhar also addressed the conference.

The ADB had launched a programme in Pakistan regarding access to justice on lower level to provide people with easy and immediate justice on lower level.—APP