ISLAMABAD: I write as a citizen of Pakistan whose faith in the country’s judiciary was restored by the bold steps taken by the Supreme Court since March 9, 2007 in defense of our Constitution. To fulfil its purpose, justice must be kept free from personal bias, and must apply uniformly to all citizens, including members of our legal community, who should ideally act as flag bearers of the rule of law.
Recently, a judge of the anti-terrorism courts (ATC), Parvez Ali Shah, took a decision to uphold the law in the case of the State vs Mumtaz Qadri, at great personal risk to his own life. If he survives this decision, he will be the first judge to have done so, in a case of this nature.
On October 3, a group of lawyers attacked the ATC court to intimidate and harass the judge. Yet to date, not only has no action been taken against any of these lawyers, the silence from the higher judiciary on this issue has been deafening.
If Pakistan is to become a society where justice prevails, the judiciary must stand in defence of what is right under law, and must negate any attempt by any group of individuals, military or civilian, who attempt to take the law in their own hands.
Qasim Sikandar
Published in The Express Tribune, October 18th, 2011.
