Lawless land

According to the World Justice Project’s (WJP) report on the rule of law, Pakistan was ranked 130th out of 139 countries surveyed. The abysmally low ranking must send alarm bells ringing in the relevant quarters and compel them to look at the root causes behind the deteriorating situation of the rule of law. The rule of law suggests that the law of the land must assume supreme importance in a true spirit. It provides that every citizen must be treated equally under the law, and no one should be detained arbitrarily without fulfilling due process.

A cursory look at our stat of affairs reveals that influential people evade the reach of the law while poor citizens are punished harshly, even for petty crimes Furthermore, the report’s findings on the state of corruption are appalling. These conditions erode the citizens’ trust in state institutions. All state organs must work jointly to address the loopholes in the legal framework and implementation mechanisms. Failure to do so will only lead to further chaos and disillusionment.

Asad Aziz

Khushab