Strengthening Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's dispute resolution councils is crucial to enhancing their ability to serve communities in a timely and cost-effective manner in resolving disputes and reducing the burden on formal courts while fostering social harmony at the grassroots level.
This was suggested during a consultative workshop on Saturday to strengthen Dispute Resolution Councils (DRC) in the Mardan Division. The Peace and Justice Network (PJN) organised the workshop in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Pakistan and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police.
The workshop was attended by DRC representatives from Mardan, Nowshera, Charsadda and Swabi at the Police Lines in Mardan. The activity was held through the EU-funded "Deliver Justice Project" aimed at making justice more accessible and inclusive in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
The DRCs are an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) forum established under the KP Police Act 2017, and provide alternative dispute resolution services at the police station, subdivision, and district level. As a statutory forum, the DRC provides services to the masses at the grassroots level, enabling citizens to benefit from out-of-court services for dispute resolution.
During the opening session of the workshop, Mardan District Police Officer (DPO) Zahboor Babar Afridi emphasised the importance of DRCs, highlighting their operational framework and the positive impact they have in resolving community disputes effectively.
He also appreciated the efforts of UNDP Pakistan and the Peace and Justice Network for organising the workshop.
During the session, District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Zeb Khan highlighted the critical role ADR and DRCs play in addressing count pendency and supporting speedy justice.
UNDP Pakistan Rule of Law Programme's Rule of Law and Justice Reforms Specialist Caitlin Chittenden and PJN CEO Syed Raza Ali highlighted that the strengthening of DRCs in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was crucial to enhancing their ability to serve communities effectively in resolving disputes.
They stressed that by addressing existing gaps — such as inadequate resources, limited training for members, lack of inclusivity, and insufficient public awareness — DRCs can become more efficient, accessible, and responsive to community needs.
Strengthened DRCs not only provide timely and cost-effective justice but also play a vital role in reducing the burden on formal courts and fostering social harmony at the grassroots level.
The workshop brought together key stakeholders, including law enforcement officials, community leaders, members of the judiciary, civil society representatives, and members of DRCs from across the Mardan Division.
Salma Zeb, a legal aid and ADR Officer in the Rule of Law Programme of UNDP, highlighted the importance of a gender-responsive DRC system in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and making it more inclusive.
Headquarters SP Rizwan Habib highlighted the importance of enhancing the effectiveness of DRCs by addressing legislative and policy gaps to ensure their decisions are more binding and enforceable. He also emphasised the need for gender-sensitive training to make DRCs more inclusive and responsive to the needs of all community members.
DRC members showcased their progress thus far, their challenges, how they overcame them, and recommendations to strengthen the forums.
The workshop also reviewed the ADR member selection criteria, the code of conduct and ethics for the DRCs and the actual rules for DRCs.
The importance of raising public awareness about the functioning of DRCs was also emphasised to ensure that more people are informed about their services so that they can access them effectively.
The workshop featured panel discussions, led by legal and ADR experts who underscored the importance of community-based dispute resolution mechanisms in reducing case backlogs and fostering trust. Participants engaged in group discussions to identify challenges facing DRCs, such as resource constraints, capacity gaps, and awareness issues, and proposed practical solutions. Special emphasis was placed on equipping DRC members with mediation, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills to address community disputes more effectively.
The workshop concluded with actionable recommendations, including conducting regular training for DRC members to enhance their skills and knowledge, increasing public awareness of the role and benefits of DRCs, establishing mechanisms to monitor the performance and transparency of DRC operations and encouraging greater inclusion of women and minority representatives in the DRC framework.