In the right direction

chambers of justice

By Muhammad Yousif

According to the Rule of Law Index 2023 by the World Justice Project, Pakistan is ranked 130 out of 142 countries worldwide and fifth out of six South Asian countries. Contributing factors to this low ranking include a lack of knowledge about legal reforms, litigation costs, delay in justice delivery, and the ratio of the number of judges to cases registered in courts.

To address the gap in affordable and efficient legal services, the Legal Aid Society (LAS), under the chairmanship of Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid, former Judge Supreme Court of Pakistan, started the Legal Advisory Call Centre (LACC) in 2014. Initially supported by the British High Commission, the LACC sought to offer pro bono legal assistance to underprivileged and neglected sections of society. This effort conformed to the efforts of the Government of Pakistan, to fulfill its constitutional and international responsibilities of providing justice and the rule of law.

Evolution and expansion: The LACC’s initial success and the need for a more structured and extensive legal aid framework led to its evolution into the Sindh Legal Advisory Call Centre (SLACC) on July 1, 2018. This change was made under the province’s Legal Empowerment of Peoples Programme (LEPPS), a government initiative. The SLACC currently functions with a legal team comprising lawyers enrolled in the Sindh High Court who offer tele-legal services between 9AM and 5PM, from Monday to Friday. Additionally, to the helpline, there is a facility for tele-IVR with a voice mail service throughout the clock. Lawyers work under the direct supervision of Justice Arif Husain Khilji, a former Supreme Court Judge, and aim to address civil, criminal, and public service legislation, especially in underprivileged communities.

Sindh Citizen Portal: A significant accomplishment for SLACC is its integration into the complaint cell of the Chief Secretary of Sindh, which is also called the ‘Sindh Citizen Portal’(SCL).

This integration process started on April 15, 2021, when its senior management, under the chairmanship of Justice Arif Hussain Khilji, visited the Chief Secretary of Sindh, Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah. The Chief Secretary expressed gratitude to the SLACC for providing services following the pandemic and instructed his staff to integrate the SLACC system into the complaint cell. By the end of August 2022, a live dashboard was installed in the office of the Chief Secretary, providing an update on government service components in real time, thus increasing accountability and transparency.

This collaboration became official on November 1, 2023, when the Minister for Law, Religious Affairs, and Human Rights, Mr Mohammed Omer Soomro, launched an integrated portal in order to improve services to citizens. The integration has already yielded numerous success stories, demonstrating its profound impact on citizens’ lives. It has played a significant role in addressing property disputes; preventing unfair legal proceedings, combating corruption and protecting property rights.

Some interventions of SLACC and SCL:

Case 1: In October 2023, Mr R learned that the property he had bought had a history of suicide of the previous tenant, and received false accusations from the tenant’s sister, and was subject to police harassment. He reached out to SLACC and our lawyer told him about our integration with chief secretary’s portal. His complaint was forwarded and the Chief Secretary office soon ordered an investigation. This led to the harassment getting stopped, and Mr R was also granted protection by the court.

Case 2: Sanghar resident Mr B was charged with a false FIR for abduction, which led to his unfair arrest. He reached out to SLACC and was guided to file a complaint through the integrated portal. Thanks to the Chief Secretary office’s timely intervention, the fake FIR was later declared and nullified by the court. Mr B has now resorted to taking legal action against those involved.

Case 3: In December 2023, Mr K, from Larkana, was asked for a large sum of bribe from the patwari when requesting for documents relating to his property. He had, however, recorded the incident and soon approached SLACC. Following the advice provided by the SLACC lawyer, he used the integrated portal to report the case, and he got his complaint handled immediately. The open records on the properties were forwarded to the court without further bribery.

Case 4: In March 2024, Mr I reached out to SLACC to request help in placing his mother’s name on the Foti Khata after his grandfather passed away. The tapedar asked for a bribe, but once all the requisite papers were sent through SLACC to the integrated portal, the matter was solved instantly, and the mother’s name was incorporated without any problem.

A vision for an empowered society: Collaboration between SLACC and the Chief Secretary’s Complaint Cell epitomises a major step toward justice for all and the empowerment of citizens. This integration also demonstrates the passion of the Legal Aid Society to change society and indicates its progress toward the achievement of a more just society. Thereafter, the celebration of this partnership embodies the realisation of the ideals of justice for all and the enhancement of public service delivery.

The evolution of SLACC from LACC and its merger with the Chief Secretary’s Complaint Cell symbolise a path - not merely of public service, but of the symbiosis between state and civil society to ensure that every citizen enjoys their rights, including access to justice. Over 33,000 individuals annually benefit from free legal assistance made possible by a dynamic partnership between the government of Sindh and efficient leadership at Legal Aid Society. Through this initiative - which acts as a silver bullet for issues ranging from police harassment to property disputes or even corruption without favour - it is demonstrated that justice should not be seen as a privilege for citizens who ask but a right for every deserving individual.