On January 29, 2025, Justice Project Pakistan (JPP), in collaboration with the International Centre on Human Rights and Drug Policy at the University of Essex and the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), convened an expert workshop on upholding human rights in drug-related cases under the Control of Narcotic Substances Act, 1997 (CNSA). Hosted at the Federal Judicial Academy (FJA) in Islamabad, the workshop sought to equip Pakistan’s judiciary with the knowledge and tools necessary to adopt a more proportionate and rehabilitative approach to narcotics cases. Discussions focused on Pakistan’s international human rights obligations, judicial discretion, and alternative sentencing models, encouraging a more human-rights based approach to drug-related offences.

The event brought together 71 participants, including 50 male and 14 female district and sessions judges, magistrates, and judicial officers handling narcotics cases across Pakistan. Judges engaged with international experts, exploring best practices from other jurisdictions, particularly how international judges have applied the International Guidelines on Human Rights and Drug Policy to advocate for proportionate sentencing and alternatives to incarceration.

 

The event also marked the launch of a specialised e-course on the International Guidelines on Human Rights and Drug Policy, developed by JPP and experts from the International Centre on Human Rights and Drug Policy (University of Essex) as a comprehensive training resource for judges across Pakistan.