As the International Council of Jurists (ICJ) was conferring International Jurists Award-2012 on Pakistan’s Chief Justice Chaudhary Iftikhar in recognition of his contribution to the administration of justice in Pakistan, the unabated mockery of the very so-called justice continued in his home country.
Last year world was astonished to see how the courts in Pakistan facilitated the release of a CIA agent, Raymond Davis, who was earlier caught after a firing incident during which he shot dead two men in Lahore – he was released to safety within few weeks after payment of few million rupees to the victims’ families as blood money. Courts failed to realise that twisting of blood money law in such a high profile case would pave a way for anyone to commit murder and then pay off the penalty. Blood money may be a relief in case of unintentional murder but not for broad daylight murder on a busy street in the presence of hundreds of witnesses.
Then came the case of Dr Shakil Afridi who has allegedly helped CIA to track OBL in Abbottabad. Afridi was picked up by the Pakistan’s law-enforcing agencies soon after the last year’s US Marines May 02 raid on OBL compound. He remained in custody of intelligence agencies for full one year.
Then all of a sudden on May 11 he was produced in a tribal political agent’s court and after a few days of closed doors hearing in which no lawyer was present, he was sentenced for 33 years in jail for espionage and working against the state (by helping the Americans). After watching the Americans’s reaction on Afridi’s sentence, the tribal court made a full 360 degrees turnaround. Now court says that Afridi has been sentenced for helping a terrorist organisation – Lashker-e-Islam, an off-shoot of Taliban.
Who do authorities think the fool – do they want us to ever trust what’s being delivered in the name of justice – one day Afridi is helping to track OBL, and the other day he is assisting a Taliban group! What are the ICJ’s credentials to decide upon the Jurists Award? I reserve my doubts.
MASOOD KHAN
Jubail, Saudi Arabia
Great ! thanks Masood Khan for pin pointing such terrible truths, but I don't understand why and how you missed the 12th May shooting spree in Karachi, where 50 people also killed brutally in broad day light and until today CJP is unable hooked the criminals, also some lawyers were burnt to death in Karachi and you failed to mention in your white paper about CJP.
in my city Karachi dozens of innocents are killed in cold blood and CJP and you both missed that completely.
are there any doubts in all above, keep your doubts with you but don't think Today is 1st April !
Khalid Nadeem
Jubail , KSA
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