Islamabad: Minister of Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar confirmed on Wednesday that every Pakistani is entitled to fair and quick legal assistance.
The Minister also underlined that simplifying legal procedures and guaranteeing that only registered lawyers have client connections depend on technology.
Attending a ceremony in Islamabad sponsored by the Ministry of Human Rights, he was commemorating the official Vakeel Online integration into the Legal Aid and Justice Authority (LAJA).
The law minister clarified that although customers might pay fees, LAJA and its associates will also offer free legal help to anybody unable to afford it.
To increase accessibility for all, Minister Azam Nazeer Tarrar also advised that the materials of the project be translated into Urdu and other province languages.
He also invited young attorneys and bar councils to participate in this transforming project.
Key leaders from Justice Project Pakistan (JPP), the German Ambassador, officials from the Ministries of Law & Justice and Human Rights, and other interested parties attended the event.
Emphasizing the significance of alliances with civil society and international organizations, DG LAJA Adil Anwar underlined that LAJA cannot provide its legal assistance mandate by itself. With Vakeel Online already having over 10,000 downloads and 321 client-lawyer matches, he emphasized that its platform will enable LAJA offer quicker and more efficient legal support. The
Vakeel Online team, led by Ramis, demonstrated how the platform connects vulnerable
litigants with a panel of LAJA-registered lawyers and emphasized the impact of legal
awareness campaigns, including Facebook videos that reached over 132,000 people.
German Ambassador Alfred Grannas expressed his delight in helping the project, pointing out that legal aid is more easily available for people in need since the program is sustainable and today a part of daily life.