All are equal

This refers to the editorial ‘Accountability laws’ (Nov 1), which has touched a sensitive subject and discussed Justice Mansoor Ali Shah’s dissenting note on the NAB amendment verdict. Justice Mansoor Ali has clarified that judges and armed forces officers are fully liable under the NAB ordinance like any other public servant of Pakistan. This is already covered in Article 25(1) of the constitution that says “All citizens are equal before law and are entitled to equal protection of law.”

Unfortunately due to selective accountability, this article is not applied in letter and spirit. There is no dispute about parliament supremacy, but parliamentarians are also not above the law. Constitutional violations which are in conflict with people’s fundamental rights can only be stopped by the apex court. What we need is strict adherence to the constitution by all components of state as rightly concluded in the editorial.

Mukhtar Ahmed

Karachi