Asian Development Bank (ADB) has agreed on a no-objection basis for the waiver of the third-tranche policy action requiring establishment of the CPLCs in substantially all districts and the immediate release of the third-tranche in the amount of 80 million dollars for Access to Justice Programme in Pakistan.
According to ADB's progress report of "Access to Justice Programme" on tranche release, a loan to the government of Pakistan for the Access to Justice Programme (AJP) approved by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on 20 December 2001, took effect on 24 December 2001, and was set to close on 30 June 2005. The loan closing date was later extended thrice, twice by one year, first to 30 June 2006 and then to 30 June 2007, and once by 3 months from 30 June 2007 to 30 September 2007.
The AJP is aimed at (i) providing security and ensuring equal protection under the law to citizens, particularly the poor; (ii) securing and sustaining entitlements and thereby reducing the vulnerability of the poor; (iii) strengthening the legitimacy of state institutions; and (iv) creating conditions conducive to pro-poor growth, especially by fostering the confidence of investors.
According to ADB's progress report, the ministry of law (MoL) is the executing agency, and the federal implementing agencies (IAs) are the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan (LJCP), the Federal Ombudsman, the Federal Judicial Academy, the Ministry of Interior, and the Higher Education Commission. In the provinces, the departments of law, finance, judiciary, ombudsman, and home are the IAs, and the planning and development departments or boards have a coordinating role.
According to ADB's progress report, the programme loan comprises three tranches plus an incentive tranche, each to be released after compliance with specified policy actions. The first tranche of 100 million dollars was released on 27th December 2001.
The incentive tranche of 50 million dollars was released on 20th November 2002 instead of the scheduled release date of 30 June 2002 and the second tranche of 100 million dollars on 22nd December 2004 instead of 30th June 2003. The release of the third tranche of 80 million dollars has similarly been moved from 31st December 2004 to 30th June 2007.
This progress report outlines the reforms implemented under the AJP, along with the achievements that show compliance with the conditions for the release of the third tranche.
The AJP's performance has been monitored closely. This report particularly notes the achievements since the progress report of December 2004 before the release of the second tranche. Two annual performance reviews (APRs) have been conducted since then: the first, from 11 December 2005 to 31 January 2006, which led to the signing of separate memorandums of understanding (MoUs) for technical assistance and programme loans, and the second, from 28 March 2007 to 26 April 2007.
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