Islamabad: The Supreme Court of Pakistan and the National Information Technology Board (NITB) on Tuesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Islamabad, to strengthen cooperation in cybersecurity, software development, digital services, information technology infrastructure and technical capacity-building.
The MoU was signed by Suhail Muhammad Laghari, Registrar, Supreme Court of Pakistan, on behalf of the Supreme Court, and Faqirullah, Director General, on behalf of NITB. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Yahya Afridi, and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, Judge, Supreme Court of Pakistan.
The ceremony was also attended by Zarrar Hasham Khan, Secretary, Ministry of IT and Telecommunication; Faisal Iqbal Ratyal, Chief Executive Officer, NITB; Haider Abbass, Director General, National Cyber Emergency Response Team (NCERT); Saif ur Rehman, Director, NITB; Azhar Mahmood Janjua, Assistant Director (E-Office), NITB; members of the Supreme Court's Information Technology team; and other senior officers.
The MoU provides a framework for developing secure, reliable and efficient digital systems; strengthening cybersecurity safeguards; improving software and IT infrastructure; and building the technical capacity required to support the Court's continuing digital transformation.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Justice of Pakistan emphasized that the effective use of technology in the judiciary is essential to make court processes more accessible, efficient and responsive to the needs of litigants and the legal fraternity. His Lordship observed that technology should facilitate access to justice, improve service delivery and enable lawyers and litigants to engage with judicial institutions with greater ease and convenience.
The Chief Justice also highlighted the critical importance of cybersecurity in safeguarding judicial data, digital platforms and institutional systems. He emphasized that robust cybersecurity measures would be undertaken through close coordination and collaboration with the Ministry of IT and Telecommunication, NITB and other relevant institutions so that the judiciary's digital transformation remains secure, resilient and sustainable.
Zarrar Hasham Khan assured the Supreme Court of full technical cooperation, particularly in cybersecurity, software development, digital services and IT infrastructure. NITB also reaffirmed its commitment to providing the expertise and assistance required for secure, modern and efficient digital systems. The MoU marks a significant step towards modernizing judicial services, securing information systems and better facilitating litigants and the legal fraternity.