The European Union has launched a €10 million programme to strengthen the rule of law in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The four-year programme was signed in Islamabad this week. The EU Delegation to Pakistan signed the agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The programme will run for four years and work directly with provincial institutions. It builds on earlier EU support for Pakistan’s justice sector, which officials said had already shown real results. The new phase aims to reach deeper into districts where justice services are weakest.
What It Covers
The programme will work with provincial institutions to make justice and security services more accessible to ordinary people. It will focus especially on women and vulnerable groups in the two provinces, who often struggle the most to get legal help. Officials said this focus was at the heart of the new agreement.
It covers the full justice chain, from law enforcement and prosecution to courts, prisons and mediation centres. The initiative will support legal aid, alternative dispute resolution and better training for justice officials. The goal is to remove the barriers that keep poor citizens away from the courts.
Why It Matters
The programme brings together the complementary expertise of UNDP and UNODC as implementing partners. The EU said it was pleased to continue the partnership, which has helped vulnerable people gain better access to police, prosecution and courts in the past.
Officials said the initiative would support greater stability, resilience and human development in both provinces. It also aims to advance gender equality and protect the rights of vulnerable people across the justice system. Progress will be reviewed regularly over the four years.
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