The rule of law is integral to building peaceful and just communities where every citizen is treated equally. Pakistan’s justice and security sectors are riddled with multidimensional challenges, impeding the rule of law in the country. According to the World Justice Project’s Rule of Law Index 2021, Pakistan ranked 130th out of 139 countries with the justice sector lacking accountability, transparency, accessibility, and impartiality.

While there are significant legislative, structural and knowledge gaps that affect the strengthening of the rule of law in Pakistan, for a deeper understanding of the root causes, from August 2021 to March 2022, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Rule of Law (ROL) Programme in Pakistan conducted a baseline study to evaluate citizens’ legal awareness and perception of the rule of law and access to justice in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan. The study’s results were to inform programmatic interventions to strengthen law and justice systems in KP and Balochistan. The study focused on evaluating the legal awareness of citizens in the two provinces regarding fundamental rights, basic laws, women’s protection laws, and legal support mechanisms, along with assessing people’s perceptions/experiences of the services provided by formal and informal justice systems.

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