Policy Advocacy
CODE PAKISTAN is very strong on policy advocacy.
CODE PAKISTAN is very strong on policy advocacy. We have developed a strong rapport with the Government of Pakistan to assist it on policy research. We have already assisted the office of the Chief Commissioner of Afghan Refugees (CCAR) in conducting National Consultations on Afghan Refugees. The report and its recommendations were highly appreciated by senior-level government officials, including the National Security Adviser Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Nasser Khan Janjua when they were presented in a consultation with senior-level government officials. Some of the recommendations of our policy consultations were approved by the federal cabinet in a meeting even before the report was finalized.
We assisted the National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) on producing a comprehensive report titled Addressing Overcrowding in Prisons by Reducing Pre-conviction Detention in Pakistan under Point 20 of the National Action Plan (NAP) that deals with revamping of the criminal justice system. Overcrowding, especially owing to the high incidence of pre-conviction detention, is a major concern in Pakistan.
On account of the concerns associated with prison overcrowding, CODE PAKISTAN—under the supervision of the NACTA – has undertaken this study to identify the causes for high pre-conviction detention rates and to provide recommendations aimed at addressing overcrowding by reducing pre-conviction detention. We are very hopeful that our policy recommendations, based on the over 140-page comprehensive study prepared over a period of one year, would result in an improved policy for the criminal justice system in general and prison overcrowding in particular. The report is due to be launched very soon.
In addition to policy advocacy related to criminal justice system through research in assistance to the Government of Pakistan, CODE PAKISTAN has recently published two policy-relevant reports titled Afghan Refugees in Pakistan: The Road Ahead and Countering Violent Extremism on Pakistan: The Need for Institutionalization. In 2019, CODE PAKISTAN raised awareness among parliamentarians on Afghan refugee issues through Rationalizing and Apprising the Discourse on Afghan Refugees (RADAR), which was a continuation of our research and previous policy advocacy work with regard to Afghan refugees in Pakistan. In 2021, CODE PAKISTAN is assisting the Federal Board of Revenue by training its staff on Mainstreaming ADR for Equitable Access to Justice in Pakistan.