KARACHI - A Focus Group Discussion on Benefits of Alternate Dispute Resolution through Mediation on the Financial Performance of the Corporate Sector was held here at Sheraton Hotel, says a press release. The discussion, which was organised by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Pakistan under the Alternate Dispute Resolution Project in collaboration with the Karachi Centre for Dispute Resolution, focused on highlighting the benefits of alternate routes to resolving disputes in particular mediation and how the corporate sector including banks, insurance companies and manufacturers could profit from it. IFC Project Officer ADR Program Pakistan & Afghanistan, Isfandyar Ali Khan stated that the main aim of the Alternate Dispute Resolution Programme is to institutionalise court-referred/ court-annexed mediation and other forms of ADR for more speedy and cost-effective commercial dispute resolution. He emphasised that with the enactment of an ADR enabling legislative framework and development of a professional cadre of ADR practitioners, the expected outcome of the Program is a substantial reduction in time and cost of dispute resolution resulting in an increase in the number of commercial cases that are backlogged in the courts being resolved through ADR/mediation. President Karachi Center for Dispute Resolution and former Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice (Retd) Saiduzzaman Siddiqi, stated that more than 1500 cases have been resolved in over three years, which illustrates KCDRs significance as a dispute resolution center. He also urged the Corporate sector to reduce litigation time and expense by utilising alternate dispute resolution through mediation. Company Secretary Habib Bank Limited and the Master Trainer KCDRMs. Nausheen Ahmad, facilitated the discussion, along with KCDR Master Trainers Faculty comprising Sohail Khoja and Neelofer Hameed.