Bolstering the Role of Prosecution Services: Pakistan Prosecution Forum holds 14th Meeting to Monitor and Measure Prosecutors Performance

9 September 2022, Islamabad - Pakistan Prosecution Forum (PPF) organized a 14th meeting to reflect on strengthening the role of prosecution services and monitoring framework to measure the performance of prosecutors in the provinces. The meeting was held in Islamabad on 8 September, 2022. This was a fourth consultative session hosted under the auspices of the EU-funded Rue of Law Programme, ‘Promoting the Rule of Law and Enhancing the Criminal Justice System in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa including Newly Merged Districts and Balochistan’. The programme aims to harmonize the delivery of justice through relevant legislative reforms whilst aligning investigation and prosecution services.   

The participants of the PPF represented a cross-section of senior officials of prosecution departments of the provinces, along with senior Judicial Officers and faculty members of training institutions of Prosecution and Judiciary. The meeting provided a platform to share their experiences, as they laid out the initiatives being carried out in setting up of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) framework. The framework in the provinces will assess, measure and monitor the performance of prosecutors. This will ensure efficiency and effectiveness in the proceedings of investigation, prosecution and adjudication of criminal cases. 

The deliberations picked up momentum towards strengthening the role of prosecution services, along with monitoring performance of prosecutors through the KPIs framework. The role of UNODC as a strategic partner to the Government of Pakistan and provincial governments was also highlighted. The ensuing discussions stressed on the need to learn from good practices executed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa  and Punjab in order to improve institutional coordination  within the criminal justice system. 

The role of technology was reinforced through sharing the workings of the Case Management Monitoring Systems in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab. There were some clear elements of distinction that can be adapted and applied to Balochistan. 

The role of PPF is significant, as it provides a joint space for cross-learning of experiences in implementing reforms to enhancing the role of prosecution as a gatekeeper and investigative arm of the rule of law system.