It is most distressing that cases pending in courts of senior and most senior citizens are not concluded so that judgements could be delivered to them within their lifetime. There are many such citizens who are almost 80 years of age with multiple ailments thus rendering them to senile dementia. They seem dejected while dragging their feet to reach courts for early disposal of their cases. They return in despair for their cases have not been called by the bench due to inadequate time. Such matters are pending sometime for more than 20-30 years.
What right to justice is accorded to them where political matters are disposed impetuously postulating to be of public interest? Because of the so-called ongoing blitzkrieg between the government and the judiciary, there is an extreme shortage of judges with a heavy backlog which unlades them to perform. In Sindh alone, 20 posts of judges are lying vacant out of 40 as required under the law.
The common people paid more taxes compared to their income while providing victuals to various institutions of the state. Politicians have abounding wealth abroad which belongs to the people of Pakistan. Properties worth billions of dollars in the UK, Saudi Arabia, Dubai and Switzerland are known to all.
Which institution of the state is competent to bring them to task? An investigator, a prosecutor and a defender can’t be a single entity (the government), hence justice would be an illusion.
Superior judiciary should rise to the occasion and play its role to salvage the country from unbridled corruption by the politicians. In certain quarters, people out of dejection are hoping for imposition of another martial law. This would be deleterious for our country and pave way for adventurism. Thus, the judiciary has to deliver and extricate the people from their predicament.
Will the judiciary do it, it is queried. It is said that the Supreme Court is empowered under the constitution to call upon any institution of the state to its aid for the implementation of its verdicts. The army must appoint, in consultation with the Chief Justice, a prosecutor general with impeccable integrity to initiate cases against the corrupt politicians in ordinary courts of law and obtain convictions and such persons should be incarcerated. In case they agree to bring back the looted wealth, they should be pardoned from jail sentence but they should still be debarred from contesting elections for at least 10 years.
Thus the infighting between politicians and judiciary will cease and the Supreme Court would be able to appoint the required judges on the bench (with agitation from the parliament which would otherwise become redundant due to mass convictions and envisage fresh dictions) as per the required strength under the constitution. The masses seeking justice would thus be redeemed.
SAHAR HAMEED
Islamabad
