Founder's Message

The Parvez Hassan Centre for Chinese Legal Studies (PHCCLS) is both an acknowledgement and a commitment. It acknowledges the extraordinary progress of the global leadership of China in social, human, and economic development, towards becoming the world's leading economy by 2026. Its vision of One Belt and One Road (OBOR) and, particularly, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) signaled a huge game-changer for Pakistan and the region. All this, for us, is rooted in the all-weather friendship between China and Pakistan.

The PHCCLS builds on this friendship to commit to facilitating and strengthening the China-led vision for increased connectivity and development in the region, including multiple energy projects and a supporting infrastructure of highways, railroads, industrial parks, wind farms, and economic zones. This is expected to follow in trade, business, and commerce, and lead to the strengthening of the strategic partnership between China and Pakistan. The PHCCLS shall, among others, provide a platform for the business communities of both the countries to promote a better understanding of each other's legal systems and institutionalize a system of alternative dispute-resolution mechanisms (ADRs), including mediation, that is both time- and cost-efficient.

The CPEC investment in Pakistan already requires lawyers in Pakistan to be generally familiar with basic Chinese legal concepts, and for lawyers in China dealing with Chinese interests in Pakistan to be generally familiar with basic legal concepts of our country. These enhance the capacity for the implementation of CPEC. And this is precisely what the PHCCLS will, hopefully, set out to do, progressing to specific needs as they arise.