EU to provide Rs3.6 billion for ‘Rule of Law’ support to Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: The European Union will provide 20 million euros (approx. Rs3.6 billion) for ‘Rule of Law’ support to Pakistan.

An agreement to this effect was signed by Secretary Ministry of Economic Affairs Noor Ahmed and EU Chargé d’ Affaires Anne Marchal in Islamabad on Tuesday. The grant assistance under the new EU Financing Agreement will be utilized in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

The Rule of Law Programme will be implemented over a period of five years. This programme will also provide technical assistance and capacity building to key government institutions in the security sector and the judiciary at federal and provincial level.

Under this programme, the police and judiciary will be supported in becoming more efficient, accessible for all, and faster in terms of procedures. The programme will also help citizens to better understand legal matters, their rights and the functioning of the legal system.

Speaking on the occasion, Anne Marchal said this programme aims to provide equal access to justice for all, which is a key policy of the European Union. Mr Noor Ahmed hailed EU and Pakistan’s long-term partnership and appreciated the EU specific sectoral interventions in various sectors.

This programme will support Pakistan’s efforts to improve the rule of law, access to justice, and delivery of timely justice in the two targeted provinces, with a special focus on women, children and less privileged groups.

As part of the programme, software and IT solutions will be developed and made available, police and judiciary staff will be trained and model police stations will be established with dedicated desks for women.

The programme will also help citizens to better understand legal matters, their rights and the functioning of the legal system through free legal aid, alternative dispute resolution and mobilizing paralegals who will support citizens. Women and less privileged citizens will benefit from this component of the programme.