Islamabad: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi said promoting a mediation system in the southern and newly merged districts will reduce the burden on courts and bolster sustainable peace, social harmony and the province’s investment environment.
Speaking as chief guest at a two-day mediation training programme held at the National Institute of Public Administration Peshawar, organised by the International Mediation & Arbitration Centre under the Ministry of Law & Justice, the Governor emphasised the local and regional benefits of wider dispute resolution mechanisms.
Civil servants, lawyers, businesspersons and education experts from southern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa took part in the programme. Governor Kundi distributed certificates to participants after Project Director Ayesha Rasool briefed him on the structure and objectives of the training course, and Director General Captain (R) Usman Gul attended the event. The Governor also planted a sapling on the institute lawn during the visit.
The Governor highlighted that the jirga system has long served as a traditional forum for resolving disputes through mutual respect and collective wisdom, and said modern mediation strengthens that tradition by adding constitutional safeguards along with neutrality and confidentiality. He noted that arbitration and mediation do not replace tradition but align it with contemporary legal standards.
Kundi pointed out that disputes are increasingly resolved more quickly through mediation worldwide, and Pakistan should promote similar models. He described proposed amendments to the ADR Act, including a suggestion to make pre-trial mediation mandatory in certain cases, as a far-sighted step that could help parties settle matters by mutual consent before lengthy court proceedings.
On the newly merged districts, the Governor said the region is undergoing a historic transition and that mediation can serve as a strong bridge to stabilise the constitutional system while preserving social harmony and encouraging investment.
