Quetta: The Public Facilitation Centre at the Balochistan High Court was inaugurated by Chief Justice of the Balochistan High Court, Justice Muhammad Kamran Khan Malakhail, in the presence of Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Yahya Afridi. The Centre has been established to bring essential judicial services closer to litigants, lawyers and members of the public and to make their interaction with the justice system more accessible, efficient and dignified.
Before the address, Fateha was offered for Shaheed District and Sessions Judge Abdul Hakeem Kakar and other martyred members of the legal fraternity. The Chief Justice of Pakistan paid tribute to the judges and lawyers who laid down their lives in the discharge of their duties and observed that the most meaningful tribute to their sacrifices is to uphold the rule of law and carry forward the mission of providing justice to the people.
The ceremony was attended by Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan and Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar, Judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan; Justice Rozi Khan Barrech, Judge of the Federal Constitutional Court of Pakistan; Judges of the Balochistan High Court; representatives and members of the legal fraternity, including the Balochistan Bar Council, High Court Bar Association and District Bar Association; and senior officials of the Government of Balochistan.
Addressing the ceremony, the Chief Justice of the Balochistan High Court, Justice Muhammad Kamran Khan Malakhail, stated that the Centre had been established within six months to ensure easier access to judicial services and basic facilities. He said that the initiative had been designed around the practical requirements of litigants and lawyers so that assistance and reliable information could be obtained through a clear and coordinated process. He further emphasized that the Centre had been established for litigants, lawyers and the general public and that its effective functioning required discipline, observance of the prescribed procedures and cooperation by all stakeholders. Referring to the related security SOPs, he stated that their purpose was to ensure the safety of the judiciary, lawyers, litigants and all other persons using the court premises.
The Chief Justice of Pakistan congratulated the Chief Justice of the Balochistan High Court and the High Court on establishing the Centre. He observed that technology and modern infrastructure are means of judicial reform, while the real objective is to make justice faster, transparent, accessible, effective and citizen-friendly. He stressed that sustainable reform also requires the Bench and the Bar to work together.
The Chief Justice of Pakistan expressed the hope that the Centre would prove to be the first milestone in a wider institutional effort and emphasized that its true purpose would be fulfilled only when similar Public Facilitation Centres are established at the district and tehsil levels. Such expansion would enable citizens, particularly those living far from major urban centres, to obtain essential judicial services and guidance closer to their homes. He added that the initiative forms part of the policy direction of the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee.
He further stated that, under the Access to Justice Development Fund, attention is being given to four essential facilities across courts in the country: uninterrupted electricity or solar power, uninterrupted internet connectivity, appropriate and dignified facilities for women, and clean drinking water. The initiative reflects the judiciary's continuing commitment to narrowing the distance between courts and citizens and improving the delivery of justice.