Women facilitation centres will be established in courts across Pakistan, with the first phase covering one centre in each of the four provinces, after a meeting of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan reviewed progress on the initiative on Thursday.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Yahya Afridi, who chairs the Law and Justice Commission, presided over the meeting at the Supreme Court in Islamabad. The meeting was attended by the Registrar of the Supreme Court, the commission’s secretary Captain (retired) Mushtaq Ahmad, representatives of the high courts, architects and officials of the National Engineering Services Pakistan (NESPAK).
According to the Associated Press of Pakistan, the chief justice said the establishment of dedicated women facilitation centres in all four provinces and Islamabad during 2026-27 was a key priority. The centres will work as one-window facilities, providing women litigants with guidance, information and legal assistance under one roof in a safe, dignified and accessible environment.
The centres are intended to make access to justice easier for women by reducing the practical barriers they face, including difficulties in navigating court procedures, obtaining legal advice and finding private consultation facilities, while protecting their privacy, security and dignity.
Each centre will include a reception area, a guidance desk, comfortable waiting rooms, clean washrooms and separate consultation rooms for women, along with facilities for legal aid and legal advice. Space will also be set aside for mediation and alternative dispute resolution, and the centres will offer psychosocial and social support to women in need.
The centres will also be accessible to women with disabilities, with special ramps, accessible entrances and clear signage, so that women facing mobility difficulties can use the facilities without hindrance.
The meeting was informed that consultations with the high courts of all four provinces had been completed and that locations for the first four centres had been identified. A nationwide design competition for the centres was held under the Institute of Architects Pakistan, and the three best designs have been shared with all the high courts so that suitable designs can be selected according to local requirements.
The chief justice directed NESPAK to begin work on establishing the centres, and said NESPAK and the Islamabad-Rawalpindi chapter of the Institute of Architects Pakistan would coordinate the design and implementation process in consultation with the relevant high courts to ensure timely completion.
He also noted that during 2025-26, courts and bar associations across the country had been provided with uninterrupted electricity, e-libraries with internet facilities and clean drinking water, along with other basic facilities for women.
