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Nida Usman Chaudhary

Pakistan College of Law, Law, Faculty Member

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Nida holds LL.B (Hons) and LL.M in Law & Development from University of London. She is the Founding Director of Lahore Education And Research Network (LEARN) which aims to bridge the gaps between education and practice through research and capacity building workshops. She has been at the forefront of bringing the notion of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) in law to Pakistan through her engagement as the Vice Principal and Director of International Programmes at School of Law, Lahore in 2013.

She has considerable counseling and academic experience and has been teaching law since 2005. She occasionally contributes articles on legal issues to newspapers and academic blogs and is an internationally published author of several papers on investment law. She was also engaged to give her legal opinion on BITS and conduct capacity building sessions on international investment laws for the Punjab Board of Investment and Trade (PBIT) when she was working at RSIL, Pakistan.

She combines her professional interests in law and human rights with her activism on environmental and development issues. She was the head of the 'Human Rights Society' at the University College Lahore and has been very actively involved with the Lahore Bachao Tehreek (Save Lahore Movement).

Nida is interested in promoting and cultivating understanding between people of the world for a more tolerant and peaceful society. She believes education needs to play a more potent role in developing and nourishing young minds so that the progressive, green and peaceful world that we aspire can become a reality for all. It is towards that end that she is now working.

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Papers by Nida Usman Chaudhary

COMPETITION LAW & PRACTICE SESSION REPORT

COMPETITION LAW & PRACTICE SESSION REPORT, 2024

Women in Punjab Police study by Nida Usman Chaudhary and Anoshay Fazal

All rights reserved however any part of this publication may be reproduced by duly acknowledging ... more All rights reserved however any part of this publication may be reproduced by duly acknowledging the source for academic and on fair use basis. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the contents of this publication. The authors and the publisher take no responsibility for any unintentional omissions. The tables, graphs, and images reproduced in this publication have been included on a fair-use basis, intending no copyright infringement. All sources have been duly credited. The data has been obtained from official sources including official websites, official correspondence, surveys, interviews, and communication with concerned officials, participants, and stakeholders, as well as official publications such as gazetted laws and rules, directories, reported judgments, and other published secondary sources such as articles, op-eds, research papers, and studies. The sources and the time at which the information was obtained have been cited in the report along with the data. Any limitations have also been highlighted where applicable.

FINAL Draft amendments justice sector 2022

The legal, policy, structural and/or other amendments proposed in this volume are based on the st... more The legal, policy, structural and/or other amendments proposed in this volume are based on the study on 'Fair Representation in Justice Sector' conducted and authored by Nida Usman Chaudhary and Anoshay Fazal in 2022 with support from United States Institute of Peace (USIP). These amendments are based on the gaps, findings and representation of the aforementioned study and take into account primary and secondary sources of data and information on which the study was based.

Women in Law Magazine

Pakistan Journal of Diversity and Inclusion

by Nida Usman Chaudhary and Sara Raza

The views expressed in this publication are solely of the author(s) and do not reflect the views,... more The views expressed in this publication are solely of the author(s) and do not reflect the views, opinions, positions, or policies of the publishers or of their partners, patrons, and affiliates. Any claims arising out of the articles or regarding the accuracy of the information contained therein are the sole responsibility of the author(s).

Gender Responsive Due Diligence Checklist - Law Firms

Gender Responsive Due Diligence: Law Firms Driving Questions: 1. Can law firms be considered a business enterprise under BHR framework

From Law School to Practice Lessons Learned in the First Year. Twitter Space Summary. pdf

Written by: Nida Usman Chaudhary and Anoshay Fazal Research Assistant: Kanza Chaudhary Design and Layout: Mars Multimedia

All rights reserved however any part of this publication may be reproduced by duly acknowledging ... more All rights reserved however any part of this publication may be reproduced by duly acknowledging the source for academic and on fair use basis. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the contents of this publication. The authors and the publisher take no responsibility for any unintentional omissions. The tables, graphs, and images reproduced in this publication have been included on a fair-use basis, intending no copyright infringement. All sources have been duly credited. The data has been obtained from official sources including official websites, official correspondence, surveys, interviews, and communication with concerned officials, participants, and stakeholders, as well as official publications such as gazetted laws and rules, directories, reported judgments, and other published secondary sources such as articles, op-eds, research papers, and studies. The sources and the time at which the information was obtained have been cited in the report along with the data. Any limitations have also been highlighted where applicable.

Impact of seniority on representation in Supreme Court

Child Protection and Safe Campuses Session - Observations and Receommendations

State of Representation of Women in Judiciary 2023

Final Institutional Reforms and Holistic Policy Recommendations for Child Protection in Educational Settings

The PBC Legal Education Rules 2015 and Quality Legal Education in Pakistan – A Critical Appraisal

The PBC Legal Education Rules 2015 and Quality Legal Education in Pakistan – A Critical Appraisal, 2023

Investing in the Future of Pakistan: Understanding why it is Important to Ensure Protection of the Rights of Children Affected by Armed Conflicts

Deciphering Pakistan’s Foreign Investment Policy: A Review of Pakistani BITs

The Journal of World Investment & Trade, 2012

This study presents the first ever comprehensive analysis of Pakistani foreign investment treaty ... more This study presents the first ever comprehensive analysis of Pakistani foreign investment treaty regime, which consists of 47 BITs as of 15 June, 2012. This study provides a provision by provision comparison of all 47 Pakistani BITs. The objective is to identify similarities and differences in these BITs, explaining legal implications of their individual provisions and suggesting policy changes for future BITs in the light of existing and emerging state practices. The overall purpose is to identify policy implications of the BITs regime for Pakistan. Looking forward, the study inquires how to enhance foreign investors’ confidence and to promote and facilitate much needed FDI in Pakistan without undermining Pakistan’s sovereign right to protect necessary public and economic interests.

Democratizing Investment Laws: Ensuring ‘Minimum Standards’ for Host States

The Journal of World Investment & Trade, 2013

The ad hoc development of international investment law has resulted in catering to the needs of c... more The ad hoc development of international investment law has resulted in catering to the needs of capital exporting states. However, owing to the weaker bargaining power of the then newly independent capital importing states, no comparable internationally recognized standards of minimum protection of national interests from foreign firms could be formulated, even though such firms today are known to have a profound impact on local economies because of the extensive protection and power they yield through lopsided BITs and other general customary standards of treatment of foreign investment. This paper is therefore an attempt to develop and advocate a new ‘national minimum standard of protection’ in investment law that focuses particularly on the rights of the host states to regulate their economies and to protect their nationals on the basis of a social contract between the State and the individual.

State of Women's Representation in Law 2020-21

Nida Usman Chaudhary, 'State of Women's Representation in Law 2020-21', LawyHER.pk, 2021

A province and tier-wise gender segregated data of Judiciary, Bar Council Members, Advocates and ... more

SNC and the Shrinking Provincial Policy Space & Other Rights

Nida Usman Chaudhary, 'SNC and the Shrinking Provincial Policy Space & Other Rights', The News, 2021

While, Pakistan Tehreek I Insaaf's (PTI) education policy boasted of a 6 point 'Education Emergen... more While, Pakistan Tehreek I Insaaf's (PTI) education policy boasted of a 6 point 'Education Emergency Plan' 1 which included amongst others, increase in education funding from 2.1% of the GDP to 5%, investment in teacher training and information and communication technology and reengineering of the governance based on complete decentralization and de-politicization; in practice, they have focused on only one of its points, which was to impose a uniform system of education for all with same medium of instruction, same curriculum and same assessments. This was pursued relentlessly by peddling false narratives of an 'educational apartheid' that posited elite private schools as a cause for perpetuating class inequality in the society-an analysis which is not only flawed in theory but also dangerous in practice as it reflects not just the lack of understanding of how a class-based society originates but also shows the deliberate deflection of state's responsibility on to private entities.

Implications of Single Curriculum

Nida Usman Chaudhary, 'Implications of Single Curriculum', Lahore Education and Research Network, 2021

The obsession to implement a single curriculum in Pakistan must be viewed with the broader lens o... more The obsession to implement a single curriculum in Pakistan must be viewed with the broader lens of rights of stakeholders, particularly, the right to education and the responsibility of states to ensure promotion of values such as peaceful coexistence and tolerance. This paper will therefore, take a closer look at the attempts to introduce one national curriculum in Pakistan and the implications that may have on the rights of children, parents, minorities, provinces and other stakeholders. In doing so, it will look closely at the nexus between state, education and ideology and what that means for pedagogy. Ultimately, it will identify why it is more important for the states to focus on the pedagogical objectives of education to meet the rights of children as opposed to employing education as a political tool for ideological goals that serves those who control the means of production to perpetuate their dominance and control.

COMPETITION LAW & PRACTICE SESSION REPORT

COMPETITION LAW & PRACTICE SESSION REPORT, 2024

Women in Punjab Police study by Nida Usman Chaudhary and Anoshay Fazal

All rights reserved however any part of this publication may be reproduced by duly acknowledging ... more All rights reserved however any part of this publication may be reproduced by duly acknowledging the source for academic and on fair use basis. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the contents of this publication. The authors and the publisher take no responsibility for any unintentional omissions. The tables, graphs, and images reproduced in this publication have been included on a fair-use basis, intending no copyright infringement. All sources have been duly credited. The data has been obtained from official sources including official websites, official correspondence, surveys, interviews, and communication with concerned officials, participants, and stakeholders, as well as official publications such as gazetted laws and rules, directories, reported judgments, and other published secondary sources such as articles, op-eds, research papers, and studies. The sources and the time at which the information was obtained have been cited in the report along with the data. Any limitations have also been highlighted where applicable.

FINAL Draft amendments justice sector 2022

The legal, policy, structural and/or other amendments proposed in this volume are based on the st... more The legal, policy, structural and/or other amendments proposed in this volume are based on the study on 'Fair Representation in Justice Sector' conducted and authored by Nida Usman Chaudhary and Anoshay Fazal in 2022 with support from United States Institute of Peace (USIP). These amendments are based on the gaps, findings and representation of the aforementioned study and take into account primary and secondary sources of data and information on which the study was based.

Women in Law Magazine

Pakistan Journal of Diversity and Inclusion

by Nida Usman Chaudhary and Sara Raza

The views expressed in this publication are solely of the author(s) and do not reflect the views,... more The views expressed in this publication are solely of the author(s) and do not reflect the views, opinions, positions, or policies of the publishers or of their partners, patrons, and affiliates. Any claims arising out of the articles or regarding the accuracy of the information contained therein are the sole responsibility of the author(s).

Gender Responsive Due Diligence Checklist - Law Firms

Gender Responsive Due Diligence: Law Firms Driving Questions: 1. Can law firms be considered a business enterprise under BHR framework

From Law School to Practice Lessons Learned in the First Year. Twitter Space Summary. pdf

Written by: Nida Usman Chaudhary and Anoshay Fazal Research Assistant: Kanza Chaudhary Design and Layout: Mars Multimedia

All rights reserved however any part of this publication may be reproduced by duly acknowledging ... more All rights reserved however any part of this publication may be reproduced by duly acknowledging the source for academic and on fair use basis. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the contents of this publication. The authors and the publisher take no responsibility for any unintentional omissions. The tables, graphs, and images reproduced in this publication have been included on a fair-use basis, intending no copyright infringement. All sources have been duly credited. The data has been obtained from official sources including official websites, official correspondence, surveys, interviews, and communication with concerned officials, participants, and stakeholders, as well as official publications such as gazetted laws and rules, directories, reported judgments, and other published secondary sources such as articles, op-eds, research papers, and studies. The sources and the time at which the information was obtained have been cited in the report along with the data. Any limitations have also been highlighted where applicable.

Impact of seniority on representation in Supreme Court

Child Protection and Safe Campuses Session - Observations and Receommendations

State of Representation of Women in Judiciary 2023

Final Institutional Reforms and Holistic Policy Recommendations for Child Protection in Educational Settings

The PBC Legal Education Rules 2015 and Quality Legal Education in Pakistan – A Critical Appraisal

The PBC Legal Education Rules 2015 and Quality Legal Education in Pakistan – A Critical Appraisal, 2023

Investing in the Future of Pakistan: Understanding why it is Important to Ensure Protection of the Rights of Children Affected by Armed Conflicts

Deciphering Pakistan’s Foreign Investment Policy: A Review of Pakistani BITs

The Journal of World Investment & Trade, 2012

This study presents the first ever comprehensive analysis of Pakistani foreign investment treaty ... more This study presents the first ever comprehensive analysis of Pakistani foreign investment treaty regime, which consists of 47 BITs as of 15 June, 2012. This study provides a provision by provision comparison of all 47 Pakistani BITs. The objective is to identify similarities and differences in these BITs, explaining legal implications of their individual provisions and suggesting policy changes for future BITs in the light of existing and emerging state practices. The overall purpose is to identify policy implications of the BITs regime for Pakistan. Looking forward, the study inquires how to enhance foreign investors’ confidence and to promote and facilitate much needed FDI in Pakistan without undermining Pakistan’s sovereign right to protect necessary public and economic interests.

Democratizing Investment Laws: Ensuring ‘Minimum Standards’ for Host States

The Journal of World Investment & Trade, 2013

The ad hoc development of international investment law has resulted in catering to the needs of c... more The ad hoc development of international investment law has resulted in catering to the needs of capital exporting states. However, owing to the weaker bargaining power of the then newly independent capital importing states, no comparable internationally recognized standards of minimum protection of national interests from foreign firms could be formulated, even though such firms today are known to have a profound impact on local economies because of the extensive protection and power they yield through lopsided BITs and other general customary standards of treatment of foreign investment. This paper is therefore an attempt to develop and advocate a new ‘national minimum standard of protection’ in investment law that focuses particularly on the rights of the host states to regulate their economies and to protect their nationals on the basis of a social contract between the State and the individual.

State of Women's Representation in Law 2020-21

Nida Usman Chaudhary, 'State of Women's Representation in Law 2020-21', LawyHER.pk, 2021

A province and tier-wise gender segregated data of Judiciary, Bar Council Members, Advocates and ... more

SNC and the Shrinking Provincial Policy Space & Other Rights

Nida Usman Chaudhary, 'SNC and the Shrinking Provincial Policy Space & Other Rights', The News, 2021

While, Pakistan Tehreek I Insaaf's (PTI) education policy boasted of a 6 point 'Education Emergen... more While, Pakistan Tehreek I Insaaf's (PTI) education policy boasted of a 6 point 'Education Emergency Plan' 1 which included amongst others, increase in education funding from 2.1% of the GDP to 5%, investment in teacher training and information and communication technology and reengineering of the governance based on complete decentralization and de-politicization; in practice, they have focused on only one of its points, which was to impose a uniform system of education for all with same medium of instruction, same curriculum and same assessments. This was pursued relentlessly by peddling false narratives of an 'educational apartheid' that posited elite private schools as a cause for perpetuating class inequality in the society-an analysis which is not only flawed in theory but also dangerous in practice as it reflects not just the lack of understanding of how a class-based society originates but also shows the deliberate deflection of state's responsibility on to private entities.

Implications of Single Curriculum

Nida Usman Chaudhary, 'Implications of Single Curriculum', Lahore Education and Research Network, 2021

The obsession to implement a single curriculum in Pakistan must be viewed with the broader lens o... more The obsession to implement a single curriculum in Pakistan must be viewed with the broader lens of rights of stakeholders, particularly, the right to education and the responsibility of states to ensure promotion of values such as peaceful coexistence and tolerance. This paper will therefore, take a closer look at the attempts to introduce one national curriculum in Pakistan and the implications that may have on the rights of children, parents, minorities, provinces and other stakeholders. In doing so, it will look closely at the nexus between state, education and ideology and what that means for pedagogy. Ultimately, it will identify why it is more important for the states to focus on the pedagogical objectives of education to meet the rights of children as opposed to employing education as a political tool for ideological goals that serves those who control the means of production to perpetuate their dominance and control.

Challenging Narratives: Rubina Saigol Research Award Interdisciplinary Articles

Challenging Narratives: Rubina Saigol Research Award Interdisciplinary Articles , 2023

Over the last few years, Pakistan has witnessed an increase in (mostly women) foreign travel blog... more Over the last few years, Pakistan has witnessed an increase in (mostly women) foreign travel bloggers. Their social media posts are being used as a form of nation branding, by weaving together particular kinds of narratives in order to tell and sell an image both locally and internationally. A common theme in the posts of travel bloggers corresponds to the positive portrayal of women's access to, and safety within public spaces, which is in stark contrast to the experiences of local women. Ironically, supporters of the ongoing local women's movement, Aurat March, are often discredited for being 'westernised' women that portray a negative image of the country, while foreign female bloggers are praised for showing the 'true' image of Pakistan. This article uses excerpts from online media commentary to discuss discrepancies in the credibility divested from local women, versus the credibility discount awarded to foreign bloggers. Situated within a post-colonial feminist framework, it examines how female foreign travel bloggers represent a shift in feminist critique and engendering nationalist discourses: from one entangled in 'white women telling brown women that they need saving from brown men' to one which could be referred to as white women telling brown women that they do not, in fact, need saving from brown men.

Fair Representation in Justice Sector A Study by Nida Usman Ch and Anoshay Fazal compressed db1f

by Nida Usman Chaudhary and Anoshay Fazal

Fair Representation in Justice Sector , 2022

All rights reserved. Any part of this publication may be reproduced by duly acknowledging the sou... more All rights reserved. Any part of this publication may be reproduced by duly acknowledging the source. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the contents of this publication. The authors and the publisher take no responsibility for any unintentional omissions. The tables, graphs, and images reproduced in this publication have been included on a fair-use basis, intending no copyright infringement. All sources have been duly credited.

Patriarchy in Politics and Political Parties in Pakistan

Patriarchy in Politics and Political Parties in Pakistan, 2023

Pakistan Journal of Diversity and Inclusion

Pakistan Journal of Diversity and Inclusion, ed Nida Usman Chaudhary and Sara Raza, 2021

Thematic articles on issues of diversity and inclusion in Pakistan.

Contradictions and Ambiguities of Feminism in Pakistan: Exploring the 4th Wave

Rubina Saigol and Nida Usman Chaudhary, 'Contradictions and Ambiguities of Feminism in Pakistan: Exploring the 4th Wave', Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), 2020

Since 2018 a new wave of feminism has swept across Pakistan consisting mainly of a younger genera... more Since 2018 a new wave of feminism has swept across Pakistan consisting mainly of a younger generation of women and other genders. The new, contemporary activism from the 1950s to the 1990s which were focused on challenging the public, socio-legal sphere, that is, the state. The current fourth wave however, marked a tectonic shift in the feminist landscape in Pakistan and inaugurated an entirely new phase in feminist struggles by challenging and deconstructing the hallowed private sphere of the family, community, and society. The marginalised ideas of non-binary persons, non-reproductive and alternative sexual expression were mainstreamed. By reclaiming public spaces and inserting the personal into the heart of the political, the new wave feminists at once dissolved the false dichotomies of the public/private, productive/reproductive, and personal/ political spheres.

Published by Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) in 2020.

Justice Sector Reforms as Proposed (as revised)

by Nida Usman Chaudhary and Hania Riffat

Proposed Amendments for Justice Sector Reforma, 2022

The legal, policy, structural and/or other amendments proposed in this volume are based on the st... more The legal, policy, structural and/or other amendments proposed in this volume are based on the study on 'Fair Representation in Justice Sector' conducted and authored by Nida Usman Chaudhary and Anoshay Fazal in 2022 with support from United States Institute of Peace (USIP). These amendments are based on the gaps, findings and representation of the aforementioned study and take into account primary and secondary sources of data and information on which the study was based. In accordance with the study, this volume also focuses on four select sectors within the justice system, namely, (i) the judiciary, (ii) bar councils, (iii) prosecution and (iv) legal practice. It aims to propose legal and policy amendments required to make the recruitment and appointments in the justice sector more gender inclusive, transparent and rooted in principles of equality and non-discrimination. This volume is intended to serve as a draft set of bills and amendments to assist and facilitate policy makers, legislators and other stakeholders in their endeavor to reform the recruitments and appointments or other processes in the justice sector. Students of law, members of academia and lawyers may also find this useful as a baseline consultative document for further debate and/or for building consensus towards reform of the justice sector.

Women in Law Initiative Pakistan -Brief Notes/Obstacles in Obtaining Higher Courts License: Implications and Way Forward | October 2022