Islamabad: Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar on Wednesday affirmed that every Pakistani deserves prompt and fair legal support.
The Minister also stressed that technology is crucial for streamlining legal processes and ensuring that only registered lawyers are connected to clients.
He was addressing a ceremony in Islamabad hosted by Ministry of Human Rights to mark the official integration of Vakeel Online into the Legal Aid and Justice Authority (LAJA).
The law minister explained that while clients may pay fees, LAJA and its partners will also provide free legal aid to those who cannot afford it.
Minister Azam Nazeer Tarrar also urged that the project’s content be translated into Urdu and other provincial languages to improve accessibility for all.
He also called on bar councils and young lawyers to join this transformative initiative.
The event was attended by officials from the Ministries of Law & Justice and Human Rights, key representatives from Justice Project Pakistan (JPP), the German Ambassador, and other stakeholders.
DG LAJA Adil Anwar, stressed that LAJA cannot deliver its legal aid mandate alone and highlighted the need for partnerships with civil society and international organizations. He noted that Vakeel Online’s platform—already with over 10,000 downloads and 321 client-lawyer matches—will help LAJA provide faster and more effective legal support. The Vakeel Online team, led by Ramis, demonstrated how the platform connects vulnerable litigants with a panel of LAJA-registered lawyers and emphasized the impact of legal awareness campaigns, including Facebook videos that reached over 132,000 people.
German Ambassador Alfred Grannas expressed his pleasure in supporting the project, noting that the initiative is sustainable and now part of daily life, making legal aid more accessible for those in need.