July 13, 2021: CODE PAKISTAN in collaboration with the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), and the National Center for State Courts (NCSC), U.S., organized a 2-day regional training on “Mainstreaming ADR for Equitable Access to Justice in Pakistan” in Lahore. The two-day training was attended by over 25 senior-level officers of the Pakistan Customs and the Inland Revenue Services (IRS) of the FBR from the province of Punjab. It was the third of a series of trainings being conducted on ADR for FBR officers throughout the country. The objective of the training was to raise awareness and build the capacity of tax officers from the Punjab provinces to provide support to citizens in the quick and efficient resolution of tax disputes by using effective methods of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR).
International and local trainers were engaged to conduct the trainings through the use of available literature, international case studies, and personal examples arising from academic and professional experiences. The programme also offered a contextual perspective of the existing ADR legislation in Pakistan with attention to its implementation, development, benefits, reasons for lack of success, and potential way forward in light of the aforementioned.
The panel of trainers included Advocate High Court, Dr. Tariq Masood, Mediator and Supreme Court Justice of the Republic of Slovenia, Ms. Nina Betetto, Mediator and Barrister-at-law, Mr. Bahadur Bokhari, President of the European Centre for Dispute Resolution and Former Minister of Justice of the Republic of Slovenia, Mr. Aleš Zalar, and last but not least, Mediator and Member of the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia, Ms. Maša Kociper.
The Vice President of NCSC, Mr. Jeff. A. Apperson also attended the training virtually from the U.S. and concluded the 2 day session with a few words of appreciation for the participants. Mr. Apperson laid emphasis on the significance of ADR and referred to international best practices to highlight the benefits of ADR as a successful alternative to traditional litigation. He further assured his support and that of NCSC in facilitating the promotion of ADR in Pakistan. The President of CODE PAKISTAN, Mr. Dilawar Khan also thanked the attending FBR officers of the Punjab province for their participation in the 2 day training on Mainstreaming ADR for Equitable Access to Justice in Pakistan.