Dark October

The month of October, 2016 may be remembered in history as a dark month in Pakistan due to the various news items that have appeared in the news media.

First there was news of a man who was sentenced to death five years ago and on appeal was acquitted by the Supreme Court of Pakistan only to be found that he had already been hanged two years ago.

The second news item was about two brothers who were sentenced to death for murder and were acquitted on appeal by the Supreme Court of Pakistan, again to be found that they had already been executed a year ago.

The third was about the sentencing to life imprisonment of a sitting member of the National Assembly belonging to the ruling party  for multiple murders in 1998.

Whereas the first two instances show a complete disregard of justice and fair play by the incumbent government in Pakistan and particularly in Punjab province, the third shows that the ruling party issued ticket to at least one person under trial for multiple murders who was eventually found guilty. It raises doubts about the others.

The rapid succession of such disturbing news is simply shattering. Is it just a coincidence or is it just the tip of an iceberg to which the news media has woken up now?  It is noteworthy that none of these significant news items has found a place on Google’s servers.

Ironically, there has not been a public uproar on this issue mainly due to the preoccupation with the popular demand for judicial enquiry on the revelations of possible massive corruption in high places in the Panama papers leaked some time ago, and government’s repressive actions .  There have been mass protests by the entire civil society and all political parties except the ruling party. The government has blocked a bill moved by the opposition parties because the Panama finger points towards the prime minister himself. The disclosures show that the prime minister concealed million of dollars worth of foreign assets in his nomination papers. Analysts are unanimous that any judicial enquiry is certain to result in his disqualification. Islamabad and parts of other cities are beginning to display the scenes of concentration camps in the government’s bid to thwart rightful protest. The country seems to be moving towards civil war and possible martial law. A number of constitutional appeals are pending before the Supreme Court of Pakistan on these issues.

Without meaning to show disrespect it must be point out that the leniency of the judicial commission on Election Rigging may be responsible for the current pathetic situation. The watering down of massive rigging as mismanagement and lack of prowess on the part of the election staff not only emboldened the errant politicians but also in a manner legitimized fraud and dishonesty.

The onus now lies on the Pakistani high judiciary to take bold decisions and make historic judgments. Let us hope that in the near future the Judiciary will rise above the doctrine of necessity and fluidity of judgment and deliver judgments reminiscent of Islamic judicial traditions.