Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), the country’s premier university, has taken a significant step in advancing Pakistan’s dispute resolution landscape by partnering with the Legal Aid Society (LAS) and the Musaliha International Center for Arbitration and Dispute Resolution (MICADR) to deliver an internationally accredited Mediation Skills Training Program.
The 40-hour training, held from May 30th to June 3rd, 2025, at the LUMS campus, was certified by the International Mediation Institute (IMI) and attended by senior leadership, faculty, and alumni of LUMS. The program offered an immersive learning experience in mediation theory, negotiation frameworks, and high-stakes roleplay simulations across civil, family, and commercial disputes.
According to Dr. Sadaf Aziz, Dean of the Shaikh Ahmad Hassan School of Law at LUMS, the program was “intellectually profound and professionally catalytic,” marking a shift in how legal education and practice are imagined in Pakistan. MICADR Co-Founder Shahzar Ilahi noted that LUMS’s investment in the program signals to courts, investors, and the global market that Pakistan is serious about justice reform.
This development comes at a time when the Supreme Court is promoting mediation, and Pakistan has recently joined the Singapore Convention and International Organization for Mediation. By training a cadre of globally certified mediators, LUMS is now positioned at the heart of Pakistan’s mediation ecosystem, ready to lead not only in legal education but also in real-time conflict resolution.
The partnership between LUMS, LAS, and MICADR is a significant step towards institutionalizing mediation in Pakistan and enhancing the country’s dispute resolution landscape. With this initiative, LUMS is poised to play a key role in shaping the future of legal education and practice in Pakistan.
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