{
  "id": 6906418,
  "title": "CJP Afridi calls for strengthening district judiciary, terms it 'backbone' of country's justice system",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/cjp-afridi-calls-for-strengthening-district-judiciary-terms-it-6906418",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-12T10:23:15.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn - Pakistan",
    "slug": "dawn-pakistan",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2029339/cjp-afridi-calls-for-strengthening-district-judiciary-terms-it-backbone-of-countrys-justice-system"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi urged the strengthening of the district judiciary in Pakistan, describing it as the \"backbone\" of the nation's justice system. During a conference in Islamabad, Afridi stated that the district judiciary serves as the initial point of contact for most citizens with any state institution. For the judiciary to gain public trust, its institutions must uphold integrity, competence, fairness, compassion, and empower judges to excel in their duties. Reflecting on his visits to remote judicial posts after assuming office, Afridi noted a disconnect between the district judiciary and the National Judicial Policy Making Committee (NJPMC), which coordinates and harmonizes judicial policy. The NJPMC has since appointed additional secretaries for each province to act as a liaison between the committee, high courts, and the district judiciary. To enhance project approvals, a 21-day timeline was set for disbursement of funds under the Access to Justice Fund. Afridi proposed four priorities for the district judiciary: uninterrupted electricity, internet connectivity, essential facilities for women, and clean water. The NJPMC allocated Rs900 million for these projects over 20 years, with Rs3.4 billion allocated for the four key initiatives. The CJP also addressed the need for improved working conditions and facilities available to judicial officers across the country, including solarisation of tehsil courts and improved connectivity for bar associations. Afridi questioned Pakistan's poor ranking in the Rule of Law Index, emphasizing that remote areas have adequate facilities, leading to a call for accurate data and recognition of the sacrifices made by judicial officers in remote locations.",
  "summary": "Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Yahya Afridi on Saturday called for strengthening the district judiciary, describing it as the “backbone” of the country’s justice system. “The district judiciary is the backbone of our justice system and for most citizens, this is the first contact they have with any state institution,” he said while addressing a conference in Islamabad. “If we aspire to…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Express Tribune - Pakistan",
        "title": "Judiciary stands united to shield judges from 'external pressure': CJP Afridi",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/judiciary-stands-united-to-shield-judges-from-external-pressure-cjp",
        "published": "2026-09-12T02:43:42.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Dawn - Pakistan",
        "title": "CJP Afridi calls for strengthening district judiciary, calls it 'backbone' of country's justice system",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/cjp-afridi-calls-for-strengthening-district-judiciary-calls-it",
        "published": "2026-09-12T07:20:17.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Daily Times",
        "title": "CJP Afridi calls for stronger district judiciary",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/12/cjp-afridi-calls-for-stronger-district-judiciary",
        "published": "2026-09-12T07:38:56.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}