Development work has officially commenced at Karachi’s historical City Courts complex following directives from Sindh High Court Chief Justice Junaid Ghaffar.
The initiative aims to upgrade court infrastructure and create a more inclusive, woman-friendly environment across judicial premises in the province. Under the project’s first phase, 18 districts across Sindh have been allocated funds specifically for the construction of family rooms and women’s toilets within court buildings. These improvements are being prioritised to address longstanding concerns over the lack of basic facilities for female litigants, lawyers, and court staff.
The budget for the woman friendly initiative has been provided under the ‘Access to Justice Programme (AJP)’ following the distractions of the chief justice of Pakistan, who is also chairman of the Law and Justice Commission of Pakistan.
At the Karachi City Court, Project Director Sohail Ahmed Mashori led an inspection of the ongoing development activities. He was accompanied by Chief Engineer Judicial Arshad Bhutto, Deputy Director Nali Mitho Ishaq, Executive Engineer Ashok Kumar, and other technical officials overseeing the initiative.
District and sessions judges from all four districts of Karachi — Dr. Ambreen (West), Abdul Naeem Memon (Central), Suresh Kumar (South), and Arshad Murtaza (East) — were also present during the site visit. The judicial officers reviewed progress and emphasized the need for timely and quality completion of works.
“We are committed to completing these development works at the earliest to facilitate both lawyers and litigants,” said Project Director Sohail Mashori. He reiterated the significance of providing adequate amenities for women in court settings, aligning with broader judicial reforms, and a compliance report would be submitted to the registrar of the Sindh High Court.
Chief Engineer Arshad Bhutto also assured the stakeholders of swift progress, urging engineering teams to maintain high construction standards. “Work must be completed properly and with high standards,” added the PD.
The Karachi City Courts is among the busiest judicial complexes in the province, serving thousands of citizens daily. The ongoing development is part of a broader infrastructure improvement agenda aimed at strengthening public service delivery within the judicial system.
