We crib about this problem or that, about one act of misgovernance or that, and so on but we have never tried to look at the mother of all problems. The real problem in our country is that we have failed and miserably failed in structuring our laws which over all govern us. Laws are made in every society to regulate society interaction and for rulers to punish those who violate them. Our laws, whether they be criminal or civil, are old and primitive, made by the British Raj and have run out of use. No amendments have been done, no revisit has ever been made and no new substantial legislation has been done.
Every law, repeat every law, has a leakage through which if the criminal is caught or apprehended by our police or security forces escapes. How many terrorists have we punished? How many rapists have we sent to jails when and if caught? How many people have we put behind bars for taking and accepting bribes or defalcating public funds, except for a few on political rivalry?
The weaknesses in these laws have made criminals active and well versed with the loopholes, hence they get away with a crime easily. ‘You want to get acquitted, buy the judge, not a lawyer’ is a common saying. Even amongst lawyers some names are prominent for getting acquittal and they charge their share of the deal. These champions of law are actually who excel in their awareness of the loopholes.
We will have to work on this area if we want Pakistan to become a country of peace. Of course once the laws are restructured and brought in consonance with the need of the time, we will have to implement them in true their letter and spirit. If and when, I pray this becomes true, some cases are adjudged correctly and criminals sent to gallows, even a first rate criminal will think twice before indulging in crime.
AMJAD H MIRZA
Lahore
