Pakistan takes 1,071 days to resolve a single commercial dispute
ISLAMABAD: Justice is an outcome of a law which upholds the good and punishes the evil. If justice is not served, violence will become a norm in society. However, regrettably, Pakistan has been ranked 106th among 113 countries by the World Justice Project in terms of Rule of Law experienced by the citizens in the year 2016. It has also been reported that on an average, Pakistan takes 1,071 days to resolve a single commercial dispute. This only goes on to show the country’s inadequate justice system.
However, justice should be easily accessible to everyone and should ensure a speedy process by reducing the existing tiers a layman has to go through to file a case and begin trial. In addition, union councils should be empowered to resolve small disputes, as this will put the pressure off our courts that are already swamped with a huge number of cases.
It had recently been reported that 39,870 cases are pending with the top court while about 1.8 million cases with the subordinate courts. Hence, essential reforms are needed on an immediate basis.
While Imran Khan in his first speech as the country’s prime minister stressed the need for institutional reform, including that of the justice system, willingness and the desire to do so is still missing. Governments — both at the federal and provincial levels — should look into the issue and deliver on their promises.
Zulfiqar Mari
Published in The Express Tribune, January 18th, 2019.
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