Justice (R) Khilji advises the business community to settle disputes through mediation

Managing Director Musaliha International Center for Arbitration and Dispute Resolution (MICADR) Justice (retd.) Arif Hussain Khilji on Tuesday advised the business community to settle their business and other disputes through arbitration and mediation

KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News – May 7, 2024) Managing Director Musaliha International Center for Arbitration and Dispute Resolution (MICADR) Justice (retd.) Arif Hussain Khilji on Tuesday advised the business community to settle their business and other disputes through arbitration and mediation .

Justice (R) Khilji, addressing a meeting during his visit to the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), urged the business community to explore the possibility of resolving their disputes without trial through MICADR, which offers cost-effective and expeditious mediation .

Judge Khilji noted that many countries around the world have reached out-of-court settlements through arbitration, with Singapore taking the lead, while Turkiye has resolved 3 million cases through mediation and the Chinese court has referred 5.1 million cases to court-approved mediation centers.

“The concept of mediation is relatively new in Pakistan, but it has gained momentum since 2022 when the Sindh High Court recognized MICADR as a recognized Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution,” he added.

MICADR co-founder and senior manager Sarha Rasheed, during a presentation to raise awareness about MICADR’s services, stated that a total of 2.1 million cases were pending in Pakistani courts to be heard by 3,100 judges.

She said MICADR, with its offices in Karachi and Islamabad, handles various types of cases, including landlord-tenant disputes, commercial disputes, insurance disputes, unfair contract terms, labor disputes, mortgage defaults and foreclosures, family disputes and property disputes. of real estate.

Highlighting MICADR’s contributions to the ADR ecosystem, she shared that over 130 judges, over 100 accredited mediators and over 800 mediation advocates have been trained to date, besides enabling legislation in Gilgit-Baltistan and increasing of awareness among state regulators.

Senior Vice President KCCI Altaf A. Ghaffar appreciated the services offered by MICADR and underlined the importance of judicial reforms in improving the legal and judicial system in the country and providing relief to the masses.

He believed that alternative dispute resolution methods were effective ways to relieve pressure on existing courts, improve access to justice and increase people’s overall socio-economic well-being.

“It is imperative to use ADR platforms efficiently and establish connections with experienced mediators and arbitrators

specialized in relevant areas that would make business easier, especially for small businesses seeking out-of-court settlements,” he added.

He also extended full support and cooperation to MICADR for all its efforts aimed at creating a favorable business environment.

Members of the Board of Directors of MICADR, Former Supreme Court Judge (Retd.) Zafar Sherwani, Former President KCCI Majyd Aziz and Former Senior Vice President FPCCI Muhammad Suleman Chawla, Vice President Tanveer Ahmed Barry, Former President KCCI Junaid Makda and Members of KCCI management committee also attended the meeting.