Islamabad:
Judge of the Supreme Court Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb observed that the strengthening of alternative dispute settlement mechanisms (ADR) improves not only the dispute settlement process, but also encourages foreign investments.
“Disputes can be referred to mediation at the prior stadium as well as to current disputes to guarantee timely and friendly regulations,” said the judge on Sunday. He was one of the speakers at a ceremony held at the end of a six -day civil and commercial mediation training program.
The internationally accredited program was organized by the International Center for Mediation and Arbitration (IMAC), created by the Ministry of Law & Justice in collaboration with Adr-Odr International.
Judge Aurangzeb also stressed the importance of maintaining professional standards and mediators’ credibility. He noted that mediation is not a threat to disputes but rather his partner and his ally.
He underlined the need to incorporate mediation into the judicial system thanks to the rules and laws updated, emphasizing the importance of normalization for coherence and efficiency.
Judge of the Supreme Court Shahid Waheed, who was also the main guest, described mediation as an essential tool to reduce the arrears of cases, strengthen access to justice and promote harmony.
He described Pakistan’s political orientation on the ADR, in particular the preparation of a model law, the establishment of annual mediation centers, awareness campaigns and “medifar” vision to feed a culture of dialogue.
Deduing the role of the iMac in capacity building through training, he congratulated the participants to have become “mediation ambassadors” and stressed that the ADR had to be institutionalized, extended to the national level and integrated into technology to transform the judicial landscape of Pakistan.
Held from September 16 to 21, the program formed high lessons judges, lawyers, government officers, academicians and professionals from all over Pakistan.
The Director General of the SAARC Arbitration Council, in choice, Dorji, also spoke on occasion, stressing the strong potential for collaboration with the International Center for Mediation and Arbitration (IMAC).
He noted that even if the two institutions can appear as competitors, their common objectives open ways for significant cooperation. The main areas identified include joint management of cases, training, political advocacy and public awareness.
