The Pakistani Spectator

Since 9th March 2007  the concept of Independent Judiciary has become very popular. Some people say our country cannot prosper without an independent judiciary some say it is not needed, there are other things that we need more. An independent judiciary is always needed to strengthen a country. Without justice people feel insecure and are not able to fulfil their responsibilities towards the state with the required dedication and enthusiasm.

Pakistan is a country where “Doctrine of Necessity” has allowed every tom, dick and harry to do anything he wants. What was the necessity here?Corruption, abuse of power, politically motivated kidnappings and murders? Isn’t the judiciary responsible for ensuring such things dont happen? After all justice delayed is justice denied.

Last year the country witnessed the worst ever inflation. At the same time one group was talking about an independent judiciary as well. Another group said we are fine as long as we can afford two meals a day. Both groups blame each other for working on their own vested interests without caring for the masses.

If we look into the recent history of Pakistan we will see that inflation has also occurred due to hoarding. I dont remember from which class I’ve studied in different subjects that agriculture is Pakistan’s main source of revenue. Lets look at the stock market crisis of March 2005. The market crashed all of a sudden even though Pakistan was one of the world’s fastest growing economies. What happened then is beyond my understanding. Who suffered in the end? Small investors, pensioners who were trading just to support their expenses. A supposed inquiry by SECP did not yield any results. All those actively trading know what happened. Back in 2006 a sugar crisis erupted. The crisis led to the increase in sugar prices from Rs.22 o a little over Rs.40. The then government supposedly took very quick action and imported sugar. What I fail to understand over here is how can we rely on agriculture if we are importing sugar? NAB had started an inquiry against some sugar mills but it was ordered by the then President Musharraf to stop. What I fail to understand is why did the President stop the inquiry? After all he wanted to establish good governance in the country. The wheat crisis is another example. We initially exported wheat and then imported it back. Will such things happen if perpetrators of these crimes are dealt with an iron hand? Will anybody have the courage to hoard any commodity if he knows that he will be punished for his crime? Why is it so that influential people get away because of NRO yet the common man has to go around in courts and prove his innocence just because he cant buy witnesses or influence somebody’s election?

In the past few years we have seen many state entities getting privatized. Most of them were generating good revenues and were sold at throwaway prices. After all they were state property and belonged to the tax payers of this country. However, only one such entity was saved by the Supreme Court. Who will investigate their sale at such low prices and punish those who sold them at such low rates? Isn’t this corruption as well?

People often blame CJ Iftikhar Chaudhry and his associates for the murder of 40 innocent citizens in Karachi on 12th May 2007. How can you blame them? Did they go out on the streets with guns in their hands and kill people? Or did they hire mercenaries who did the job? If they are guilty for those deaths how about putting them in a court of law and proving their link with those murders? At the same time it is necessary that those responsible for the murder of innocent children in Lal Masjid should also be tried.

This reminds me of a great statement by Winston Churchill “All the great things are simple, and many can be expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope. ” In Pakistan what is the one great thing a common man gets. A common man here only gets frustration. Being a tax payer it is my right to be given justice, dignity, freedom of speech. Yet I dont get anything. If I go into a government department for getting something done I will not be helped unless and until I dont empty my pocket. As a consumer what rights do I have? Who will compensate me if I buy a new car which turns out to be crap? What is the use of paying so many taxes? Wouldn’t it be better if I gave the money to an ngo which has a trackrecord of using the donations efficiently. Taxes are benefiting those who have huge properties and armies of guards.

We have to make a choice here.Do we need roti or justice? What will we fight for?Which fight will give us a better result in the long term?The choice is yours.