Under the IVLP Impact Award 2025 by the U.S. Department of State and Meridian International Center, IVLP alumna Safia Lakho (Advocate, High Court of Sindh) recently organized a one-day legal training workshop in Karachi.

The initiative was part of Safia’s IVLP Impact Award Project: “Strengthening Rule of Law & Access to Justice: Legal Training for Professionals.” In preparation, she personally visited bar associations across Sindh, hand-delivered invitations, introduced the project’s objectives, and encouraged participation. A structured registration and screening process followed, resulting in the careful selection of 100 lawyers from diverse bar associations, together managing over 6,000 active cases.

The workshop featured national and international legal experts from the United States, Eswatini, Nigeria, and Pakistan, who delivered impactful sessions on legal ethics, judicial efficiency, cybercrime, and human rights protection.

• USA: Sgt. Mike O’Grady, Commander SVICAC Task Force (San Jose Police Department), spoke on International Standards in Cybercrime and Digital Forensics.
• Eswatini: Deputy Commissioner Duduzile Dlamini Nhlengethwa presented on Human Rights Protection in Light of International Law.
• Nigeria: Yachat Dala, Deputy Director (Legal), Human Rights Commission, discussed Safeguarding Children from Online and Offline Harassment.
• Pakistan: Advocate Habib-ur-Rehman Jiskani, Supreme Court, led a session on Judicial Efficiency and Access to Justice for Undertrial Prisoners.

A highlight of the workshop was a case study group activity, where lawyers collaborated on real-life scenarios to design strategic legal responses.

In her remarks, Safia Lakho said:
“It was my deep desire to implement in Pakistan what I learned in the United States regarding court proceedings, trials, and investigation. I’m confident this training will pave the way for strategic improvements across thousands of cases.”

The closing ceremony was attended by Rajveer Sindh Sodha, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister (Human Rights), Government of Sindh, who presented certificates to participants and congratulated Safia on her achievement. He lauded the initiative as “a matter of pride for Sindh,” commending Safia for applying her U.S.-based learnings to strengthen justice locally.

Participants expressed appreciation, calling it the first training of its kind for legal professionals in Sindh, and praised Safia’s dedication to advancing human rights and access to justice.

Video details of Safia’s IVLP Impact award can be found here.