Addl IGP South Calls For Adopting ADR Mechanism

Additional Inspector General of Police (AIGP) South Punjab Dr Ehsan Sadiq has underlined the need for adoption of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism to promote harmony in society, save litigation costs and reduce case load on criminal justice system

MULTAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Jul, 2022 ) :Additional Inspector General of Police (AIGP) South Punjab Dr Ehsan Sadiq has underlined the need for adoption of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism to promote harmony in society, save litigation costs and reduce case load on criminal justice system.

He was addressing the inaugural session of Dispute Resolution Committees of 31 police stations of District Multan, held here on Saturday.

Dr Ehsan urged the members to ensure impartiality, neutrality and confidentiality during the mediation process and to be aware of implicit bias. ADR was not a new concept in Pakistan and had been historically embedded in our social system, he said.

However, the police annexed mediation model in Pakistan was unique in the world, he said. Due to a host of reasons, the police was frequently asked to intervene and initiate criminal actions in complaints which were primarily civil or minor in nature, he added.

The AIGP encouraged the newly formed Dispute Resolution Committees to adopt international best practices including those in the US. He also called for fair representation of women, minorities and former members of criminal justice system.

The SOPs and training material to ensure standardised working of DRCs would also be delivered shortly, he added.

He lauded the commitment and passion of City Police Officer Mr Khurram Shehzad who took the initiative of establishing Dispute Resolution Committees in all 31 police stations of Multan district. Similar committees would soon be established in all other districts of south Punjab, he said.