Federal Law, Justice and Human Rights Minister Wasi Zafar on Monday expressed great concern over the slow progress of $350 million Access to Justice Programme (AJP) funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
In a meeting with the project director and other officials of the Project Management Unit (PMU) held here, the minister directed them to hire experts, competent consultants, short-term specialists, and consultant firms to speed up the entire Access to Justice Programme (AJP).
For this project the Asian Bank provided $350 million of which $20 million was for Technical Assistance (TA). The minister checked the progress on various reform areas under the project and laid emphasis on the proper utilisation of TA loan, which is very crucial for automation, procurement of specialists, consultant firms, training, capacity, and strengthening judicial sector.
The minister also discussed in detail the 183 investment proposals under the AJP identified for current year through different implementation agencies costing Rs 1.2 billion.
Wasi also instructed the Project Management Unit to make policies for transparency of the entire project, saying that only greater transparency would ensure prompt and efficient utilisation of funds for the project.
The minister also said that the on-going projects and reforms aim at providing speedy and inexpensive justice to common man.
AJP supports and complements the on-going reforms in the country, and for that the ministry intends to take the judiciary and bar on board.