{{Infobox organization | name = Dispute Resolution Councils, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | native_name = | abbreviation = DRCs | logo = | logo_size = | logo_caption = | founded = 2014 | founder = Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police | formation = Police Act, 2017 (KP) – Section 73 | type = Alternative Dispute Resolution body / Community justice institution | status = Active | headquarters = Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan | region_served = Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan | main_organ = Panels of 3 members each (seven panels per council) | leader_title = Inspector General of Police / Provincial Police Officer | key_people = Registrar (elected), Police Coordinator attached to each council | budget = | website = }}
The '''Dispute Resolution Councils''' (DRCs) are community-based alternative dispute resolution institutions established in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province of Pakistan. They aim to resolve minor disputes amicably at the local level, reduce the burden on courts and police stations, and provide prompt and accessible justice to the public.<ref name="auto3">{{cite web | title=KP police set up first dispute resolution council | date=17 January 2014 | url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1080859 }}</ref><ref name="auto">{{cite web | title=KP DRCS settle 7,179 disputes in one year | date=18 September 2017 | url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/230736-KP-DRCs-settle-7179-disputes-in-one-year }}</ref><ref name="auto7">{{cite web | title=KP Police introduce Dispute Resolution Councils in province | date=16 January 2017 | url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/179526-KP-Police-introduce-Dispute-Resolution-Councils-in-province }}</ref><ref name="auto1">{{cite web | title=Three different laws in vogue for alternate dispute resolution | date=24 May 2021 | url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1625354/three-different-laws-in-vogue-for-alternate-dispute-resolution }}</ref>
==History == The first DRC in KP was launched as a pilot project in Gulbahar Police Station in Peshawar in 2014.<ref name="auto3"/><ref name="auto6">{{cite web | title=KP police launch Dispute Resolution Council | date=17 January 2014 | url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/archive/print/479553-kp-police-launch-dispute-resolution-council }}</ref> From Peshawar, the model was expanded to other districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with DRCs established at the police station level in several districts and eventually across the province.<ref name="auto5">{{cite web | title=DRCS resolve 5,381 cases in KP | date=24 November 2018 | url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/397621-drcs-resolve-5-381-cases-in-kp }}</ref><ref name="auto"/><ref name="auto6"/><ref name="auto4">{{cite web | title=Dispute resolution council opens in remote Khyber | date=26 February 2024 | url=https://www.nation.com.pk/26-Feb-2024/dispute-resolution-council-opens-in-remote-khyber }}</ref> Over time, there has been an increasing focus on ensuring inclusion (e.g., women’s participation) and integrating traditional principles of dispute resolution (e.g., jirga) with formal legal norms.<ref>{{cite web | title=Formation of first DRC in Landi Kotal lauded | date=14 December 2023 | url=https://www.nation.com.pk/14-Dec-2023/formation-of-first-drc-in-landi-kotal-lauded }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=DRC sets up traditional dispute resolution in Khyber | date=8 December 2023 | url=https://www.nation.com.pk/08-Dec-2023/drc-sets-up-traditional-dispute-resolution-in-khyber }}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last1=Sumi4321 | first1=Sumara1234 | last2=Islam | first2=Dr Fakhr Ul | title=Role of Jirga and Dispute Resolution Councils in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: A Comparative Analysis | journal=The Dialogue | date=21 December 2020 | volume=15 | issue=4 | url=https://journals.qurtuba.edu.pk/ojs/index.php/thedialogue/article/view/40 }}</ref>
==Legal framework== DRCs are provided for under Section 73 of the Police Act 2017 (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police Act), which empowers the provincial police officer to constitute Dispute Resolution Councils at the police stations, sub-divisions, or district levels for “amicably settling out-of-court cases of minor nature”.<ref name="auto1"/>
The initial pilot of DRCs began under earlier police orders, with further amendments providing them with legal protection after judicial scrutiny. Notably, after the Peshawar High Court stayed the DRCs for lack of legal validity, the KP Assembly amended the relevant laws in 2014 to provide a legal basis, allowing the councils to resume functioning.<ref name="auto2">{{cite web | title=KP's Dispute Resolution Councils settled nearly 6,000 cases over the last six months | date=31 March 2016 | url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1248887 }}</ref><ref name="auto3"/><ref name="auto6"/>
==Structure and composition== *Each council is usually composed of about 21 or 22 members, drawn from respected non-political and non-controversial members of the community: intellectuals, retired civil and armed forces officers, academics, businessmen, lawyers, etc.<ref name="auto6"/><ref name="auto3"/><ref name="auto7"/> *These members are organized into panels (usually seven panels of three members each). The panels take cases, find facts, mediate, and attempt to reach amicable resolutions.<ref name="auto6"/><ref name="auto7"/><ref name="auto"/> *A registrar is elected from among the members in each council, who assigns cases to the panel, coordinates, and ensures proper functioning.<ref name="auto6"/><ref name="auto7"/> *Each council is also accompanied by a police coordinator (an officer from the police department), who is responsible for process-oriented tasks such as serving summons, ensuring attendance, providing legal guidance (where necessary), and ensuring compliance with laws.<ref name="auto6"/><ref name="auto3"/><ref name="auto7"/>
==Jurisdiction and function== DRCs resolve minor disputes, often non-violent disputes between community members. The goal is an amicable and speedy resolution that avoids escalation and reduces the formal backlog of justice.<ref name="auto3"/><ref name="auto5"/><ref name="auto7"/>
Functions include amicable settlements between parties, fact-finding inquiries, and acting to some extent like a jury or advisory body.<ref name="auto3"/>
Cases not resolved by DRCs may be referred to formal courts or other legal forums.<ref name="auto5"/>
==Impact== In one year, in KP, DRCs received 10,386 cases. About 7,179 were resolved amicably, 1,465 were forwarded, and the others were pending.<ref name="auto"/> In another report, during a six-month period, about 5,753 cases were resolved, of which 5,404 were settled. Some were referred.<ref name="auto2"/> Benefits noted include: increased access to justice (especially in remote areas), reduced burden on courts and police, fostered community trust, and encouraged non-violent dispute resolution.<ref name="auto5"/><ref>{{cite web | title='Dispute resolution councils ensure equitable access to justice' | date=3 January 2025 | url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1882716/dispute-resolution-councils-ensure-equitable-access-to-justice }}</ref><ref name="auto4"/>
==References== {{reflist}}
==Bibliography == *<ref>https://pukhtunkhwajournal.org/journals/2022/July-December/147-157.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=December 2025}}</ref> *<ref>{{Cite web| title=Factors influencing the Effectiveness of Dispute Resolution Council in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa-Pakistan | url=https://ojs.jdss.org.pk/journal/article/download/349/252/435 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251116034550/https://ojs.jdss.org.pk/journal/article/download/349/252/435 | archive-date=2025-11-16}}</ref> *{{cite journal | last1=Farhad | first1=Aarzoo | last2=Ali | first2=Rafia Naz | last3=Khan | first3=Nida | last4=Rubab | first4=Huma | title=Analyzing the efficiency of Alternative Dispute Resolution: A study of Dispute Resolution Council in Pakistan | journal=International Journal of Social Science Archives | date=9 May 2024 | volume=7 | issue=2 | pages=254–260 | url=https://ijssa.com/index.php/ijssa/article/view/293 }} *{{cite journal | last1=Nouman | first1=Muhammad | last2=Ahmad | first2=Zeeshan | last3=Ullah | first3=Maghfoor | title=The Role of Dispute Resolution Council in Dispute Resolution: A Case Study of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa | journal=Global Regional Review | date=2022 | volume=7 | issue=4 | pages=46–52 | doi=10.31703/grr.2022(VII-IV).05 | url=https://www.grrjournal.com/article/the-role-of-dispute-resolution-council-in-dispute-resolution-a-case-study-of-khyber-pakhtunkhwa | doi-access=free }} *<ref>{{Cite web | title=Not Found | url=https://journals.qurtuba.edu.pk/ojs/index.php/thedialogue/article/download/825/347/5253 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240708175943/https://journals.qurtuba.edu.pk/ojs/index.php/thedialogue/article/download/825/347/5253 | archive-date=2024-07-08}}</ref> *<ref>{{Cite web| title=Dispute Resolution Councils: The Issues Within Its Institutional Framework And Their Impacts On Its Efficiency And Growth | url=https://journalppw.com/index.php/jpsp/article/download/15029/9728/18327 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231223040530/https://journalppw.com/index.php/jpsp/article/download/15029/9728/18327 | archive-date=2023-12-23}}</ref> *{{Cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/363362706|title=DISPUTE RESOLUTION COUNCIL (DRC) AS A FLEXIBLE SYSTEM OF CONFLICT RESOLUTION: EVIDENCE FROM PAKISTAN}} *{{cite journal | last1=Generator | first1=Metatags | title=Exploring the Efficiency of Dispute Resolution Council (DRC) for Peaceful Settlement of Disputes in District Lower Dir | journal=Pakistan Journal of Society, Education and Language (PJSEL) | date=15 June 2022 | volume=8 | issue=2 | pages=168–176 | url=https://pjsel.jehanf.com/index.php/journal/article/view/745/553 }} *{{Cite web|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/366138150|title=Factors influencing the Effectiveness of Dispute Resolution Council in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa- Pakistan}}
{{Judiciary of Pakistan}}
Category:Dispute resolution Category:Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Category:Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Police Category:Law enforcement in Pakistan Category:Local government in Pakistan Category:Human rights in Pakistan Category:Organisations based in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Category:2014 establishments in Pakistan