MRDO establishes resource centre in Jacobabad

CEO says they are working to provide free of charge legal aid to citizens

KARACHI: The Marvi Rural Development Organisation (MRDO) has established a resource centre in Jacobabad district for poor women and men facing difficulties reaching courts for want of money, said Ghulam Sughra, the chief executive officer of the organisation.

She was speaking at a session organised in Sukkur on the concept of ‘Free Legal Aid for Vulnerable Community’. The session was attended by lawyers, civil society organisations and community representatives as well as Sukkur Additional Commissioner Yousuf Shaikh.

These vulnerable people also do not have the resources to approach advocates to get their rights through judicial system properly, explained Sughra. “So far the MRDO has reached a large number of people through different methods and registered 105 cases in courts,” she told participants.

“The primary objective of this project is to work towards bridging the gap between supply and demand of high-quality, effective and inexpensive legal services and representation to serve the interests of the people, particularly disempowered and marginalised groups,” said Gul Buledi, programme coordinator at MRDO.



MRDO Programme Manager Salman Ali gave participants an overview of the types of queries received by the organisation. He said cases they receive involve issues relating to availability, access and protection of resources such as water, electricity, education and issues relating to state processes and procedures such as getting national identity cards made, registering FIRs and complaints about maladministration. They also receive calls about violence and discrimination, particularly against women. Ali highlighted the need for creation of linkages with other stakeholders, including the media, for better facilitation, support and resolution of people’s problems.

The session was organised to create awareness about the free legal aid services provided by the MRDO, with a special focus on underprivileged and marginalised groups. The objective of the session was to inform the media and relevant stakeholders about the organisation’s Free Legal Call Centre, how to access it, the services provided and its performance to date.