KP Government, in partnership with the European Union, UNDP, and UN Women, reaffirms its commitment to justice for all under the Provincial Roadmap

Sun, February 16, 2025

Ambassador of European Union to Pakistan Dr Riina Kionka has re-pledged EU’s support to justice sector reforms in Pakistan to ensure people-centered justice, particularly for women and less privileged groups.

Speaking during the first-ever dialogue on the KP Rule of Law Roadmap (2023–2028) here, she said that “theRule of Law Roadmap is an important milestone to guide joint efforts”, and encouraged authorities to accelerate the rate of implementation of the roadmap.

Dr Kionka further highlighted the importance of coordination across and between the different authorities involved in implementing the roadmap reiterating the slogan of the EU in Pakistan, “We are stronger together”.

The dialogue brought together key justice and security stakeholders from the KP government, theKP judiciary,prosecution, law enforcement, and prison services as well as legal practitioners and civil society, according to a press release issued by UN system in Islamabad on Friday.

The dialogue participated by the United Nations system in Pakistan and the KP government, reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring justice for all. The roadmap outlines key priorities to strengthen the rule of law and improve access to justice in KP, including the merged districts.

Led by theKP home and tribal affairs department (HTAD), the dialogue featured a dynamicpanel discussion, “Joining forces to strengthen the rule of law and justice in KP.”Panelists shared insights on collaborative efforts to improve access to justice, with a focus on empowering women and marginalised groups.

The 20 million euro “Deliver Justice Programme”, is funded by European Union and aims to support reform processes to ensure the delivery of people-centered justice, enhance access to justice for all, particularly women and less privileged groups, and improve service delivery of the security sector in line with constitutional safeguards and international standards in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including the merged districts and Balochistan.

Speaking on the occasion, UNDP Resident Representative in Pakistan, Dr Samuel Rizk highlighted the roadmap’s importance in strengthening rule of law, particularly in the merged districts.

“For the first time, the KP Rule of Law Roadmap provides a structured approach to addressing justice and security challenges in the merged districts. It will help us expand access to justice, strengthen legal protections, and ensure institutions are more responsive to the needs of local communities. These are the cornerstones of sustainable development in KP,” he said.

He also acknowledged UNDP’s strong partnership with the KP government, the EU, UN Women, and UNODC in advancing this critical initiative.

As part of this consultation, a roundtable with women professionals from KP’s justice and security sectors highlighted their experiences and challenges in advancing fair and accessible justice.The discussion focused on progress under the roadmap as well as the “Deliver Justice Project” in creating safer environments for marginalised groups.

Country Representative, UN Women Pakistan, Jamshed M Kazi underlined the targeted efforts made under the roadmap and the ‘Deliver Justice Project’ to ensure a safer and more inclusive environment for women and other marginalized individuals.

He said, “Integrating gender equality into every aspect of the framework is not just progress – it is a promise. By strengthening the rule of law institutions to be more gender-responsive and inclusive, we are laying the foundation for justice that safeguards the rights of all, especially women, survivors, and vulnerable groups,” he said.

The KP special secretary of planning and development department, Abdul Khaliq, emphasised the urgency of implementing the KP Rule of Law Roadmap (2023 -2028), stating, that the provincial government remains steadfast in its commitment to strengthening the rule of law institutions, enhancing their performance, and ensuring justice for all.

“We firmly believe that economic growth, poverty eradication, and the overall development of our province are only possible when justice prevails, and institutions operate with integrity and efficiency,” he said.

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