A judicial delegation from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa visited the Supreme Court's Public Facilitation Centre on Tuesday to study citizen-centric reforms. The delegation, comprising District and Sessions Judges from Mardan, Swat, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Kohat, Abbottabad, and Peshawar, was led by the Registrar of the Peshawar High Court. They called on Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi to discuss judicial reforms, public facilitation, and modernization of court services.
Public Facilitation Centre Tour
The delegation visited the Public Facilitation Centre (PFC) at the Supreme Court to observe its operations and explore the possibility of replicating the model within KP's judicial institutions. They were briefed on the centre's wide range of citizen-centric services, which include case filing guidance, information and facilitation services, certified copy facilitation, case status information, litigant support, digital information kiosks, e-filing assistance, online and e-payment facilities, and integrated public complaint and feedback mechanisms.
Chief Justice's Emphasis on Reforms
Chief Justice Yahya Afridi underscored the importance of citizen-centric reforms, noting that judicial institutions must embrace innovative and technology-enabled solutions to improve service delivery and strengthen public confidence. He highlighted ongoing reform initiatives aimed at facilitating litigants, enhancing institutional efficiency, and expanding access to justice through digitization, process automation, and improved public engagement.
The delegation appreciated the PFC as an exemplary model of integrated service delivery and expressed keen interest in adopting similar facilitative arrangements within KP's district judiciary. Discussions also focused on exchanging best practices and promoting greater institutional coordination to enhance public facilitation across judicial institutions.
Visit by Civil Judges
Separately, a delegation of Civil Judges from KP, undergoing in-service pre-promotion training at the Federal Judicial Academy under the Professional Exchange Programme, also called on the Chief Justice as part of their study tour. The meeting was attended by the Director General of the Federal Judicial Academy, the Director of the KP Judicial Academy, the Director General (Reforms) of the Supreme Court, and the Secretary of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan.
During the interactive session, the CJP highlighted the evolving nature of judicial responsibilities and stressed the importance of continuous professional development. He observed that training programmes by judicial academies play a vital role in enhancing judicial capacity, promoting consistency in decision-making, and strengthening public confidence in the justice system.
The Chief Justice emphasized that the administration of justice requires sound legal acumen, integrity, impartiality, and judicial temperament. He noted that judicial officers must remain mindful of their constitutional responsibilities and strive to deliver justice fairly, expeditiously, and in accordance with law.
He encouraged participants to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, independence, and ethical conduct, observing that the credibility and effectiveness of the justice system depend on the competence, integrity, and commitment of judicial officers. The visit concluded with an interactive question-and-answer session, followed by the exchange of souvenirs as a gesture of institutional goodwill.
