Miscarriage of justice
How unfortunate that the immediate reaction to the Pabbi incident landed ANP’s Mian Iftikhar in judicial lockup, even though the father of the deceased admitted in court that he was pressured into naming the accused. Of the many things this incident exposes about our justice system, justice delivery is not very prominent, to say the least. The arrest caused unrest all the way to the interior ministry and the PM house, and rightly so, even though for some reason there was more concern about lack of dignity shown to politicians than a miscarriage of justice having taken place.
PTI, too, is not exactly being just by ruling out an intervention. True, KP police is not so much in the news for its notoriety as its counterparts in Punjab and Sindh, but it’s not as if its actions have not been questionable here. Also, this would be a case of upholding justice, not influencing some investigation to the benefit of any party. PTI, apparently, still needs to learn to appreciate the fine line between rhetoric and reality.
And while the incident is being investigated, the mob that triggered the clash must also be probed. Over time, a clear pattern has emerged of PTI supporters being provocative in the presence of other parties’ workers. Perhaps supporters of Naya Pakistan ought to set a better example of tolerance, so lesser friction and fewer clashes are caused. It would also help if the party improves its selection criteria. If it cannot filter people with fake degrees, or who later make off with ballot bags, or who’d favour mob violence over disciplined protest, it cannot uphold its tall claims. Khan sb must prove that his party will go the extra mile to ensure justice. He should, at least, explain why Mian Iftikhar was named, who pressured the deceased’s father, and just why the ANP leader is being humiliated for a crime he did not commit?
