ISLAMABAD: The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on Wednesday welcomed the progress made by Pakistan's southwestern Balochistan province in advancing the criminal justice system under the Rule of Law Roadmap Balochistan.
Balochistan remains the most deprived province in Pakistan, according to UN data which cite internal conflicts, complicated geostrategic location and transnational organized crime such as human trafficking, smuggling, illicit drugs and cross-border violence as the main factors arresting the region's development.
The Rule of Law Roadmap (RoL) for Balochistan — a program that has been implemented by the UNODC and British High Commission since 2017 — intends to help the provincial government of Balochistan reform its law enforcement and criminal justice sector.
"Balochistan has achieved significant milestones under the RoL Roadmap Project since its inception to date," the UNDOC said in a statement after a meeting of the program's steering committee in Quetta on Wednesday. "The progress made under the roadmap was applauded by all the stakeholders despite the unprecedented challenges of COVID-19."
UNDOC Pakistan representative Jeremy Milsom said the reforms achieved will now have to be aligned with criminal justice institutions to "reinforce human rights and address underlying challenges of gender-based violence through promoting the rule of law and democracy in Balochistan."
During the Quetta meeting, Hafiz Abdul Basit, Balochistan's Additional Chief Secretary for Home and Tribal Affairs, said the government had committed Rs500 million ($3.12 million) for the reform in the province.