KARACHI:
In Pakistan, the courtroom is often seen as a place where justice is reserved for the powerful and delays are reserved for the poor. With over 2.1 million pending cases in courts across the country, judicial reforms are a national necessity.
But while debate focuses on case backlogs and judicial appointments, deeper issues remain untouched. Why is justice still a luxury for ordinary citizens? The average Pakistani cannot afford the costs, time or complexity of legal proceedings. Legal language remains alien, courtrooms inaccessible and procedures archaic. Furthermore, there is no standard performance audit of judges, no meaningful judicial ombudsperson and little to no transparency in case allocation. These gaps breed perceptions of favouritism. The recent controversies over bench constitution and selective suo motu powers have only worsened public trust.
Another major blind spot is legal education. While judges and lawyers shape society’s rights, many law colleges operate without proper faculty, infrastructure or updated curriculum. If the judiciary does not reform itself, it risks becoming a silent partner in injustice.
Fahad Zafar Solangi
Hyderabad
