KPJA REPRESENTS AT PAKISTAN’S FIRST RULE OF LAW FORUM IN ISLAMABAD (JULY 9, 2026)

ISLAMABAD / PESHAWAR – The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Judicial Academy (KPJA) marked its active participation in Pakistan's first-ever Rule of Law Forum, convened by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the European Union-funded Deliver Justice Project. The prestigious event was held at the Marriott Hotel, Islamabad, on July 9, 2026. 

Representing the Academy, Mr. Muhammad Shoaib, Senior Director (Research & Publications) KPJA, joined a distinguished gathering of members of the judiciary, policymakers, civil society, academia, and development partners to deliberate on pivotal legal frontiers, including climate justice, commercial justice, and digital transformation. 

During the parallel session on Commercial Justice for Economic Growth—chaired by Hon'ble Mr. Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan—Mr. Muhammad Shoaib presented key insights from KPJA: 

• Training Needs Assessment (TNA): He shared the findings of the TNA of commercial court judges, emphasizing their foremost priority for specialized training in commercial law. 
• ADR Integration: He highlighted that Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) training remains an integral part of all judicial and legal trainings conducted by the Academy. 
• Mediation Accreditation: He briefed the forum on the successful "Accreditation Training for Judges on Mediation," recently completed at the KPJA in collaboration with the Legal Aid Society (LAS) and the International Mediation Institute (IMI). 

Key Directive from the Chair: Reacting to these initiatives, Hon'ble Mr. Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb observed that judges trained as mediators should actively be assigned mediation cases, suggesting that District & Sessions Judges (DSJs) be instructed to facilitate this. He further recommended training lawyers to establish a robust, accredited pool of professional mediators in the future. 

The forum concluded with a high-profile ceremony presided over by Hon'ble Mr. Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, Judge of the Supreme Court of Pakistan and Chairman of the National Judicial Automation Committee, who served as the Chief Guest. The ceremony was also attended by Hon'ble Mr. Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb. 

Valedictory addresses were delivered by Dr. Samuel Rizk (Resident Representative of UNDP), Dr. Sabstin Lorin (Deputy Country Head of the EU), and the Hon’ble Chief Guest, all of whom reiterated the importance of modernizing judicial frameworks. 

The forum paved the way for strategic future pathways for KPJA:

• Emerging Training Priorities: KPJA will align its future programs with the EU and UNDP’s core focus areas: Climate Justice & Climate Change, AI-driven Digital Transformation, and Commercial Justice. 
• Sponsorships: The legal aid training components will continue to receive EU sponsorship through the Legal Aid Society (LAS). 
• Support for KP Bar Council: On the sidelines of the event, representatives of the KP Bar Council shared plans to establish their own Bar Training Academy. On behalf of KPJA, Mr. Muhammad Shoaib offered soft support, including faculty development and training assistance, to aid in this laudable initiative.