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Tribal Justice
Justice delayed is justice denied is an age old maxim that is unfortunately flouted the most by our judicial system causing immeasurable frustration and agony to thousands of hapless common Pakistanis every day in our courts. That's why, the tribesmen prefer dispensation of justice through their Jirga and Shura system which is much more quicker. On Wednesday 24th September 2008 in South Waziristan one Karnail Khan and his son Haji Khan were executed publicly by the firing squad while the wife was shot dead in the house, for murdering a four year old daughter of a neighbour and throwing her dead body in front of their cousin's house to implicate him and his family in the offence However, they were nabbed, tried by the local Shura where they confessed to the killing, sentenced to death by the Shura and executed publicly in front of thousands of onlookers "“ all in a matter of two days only of committing the offence.
A teacher's daughter was abducted in Swat area and when the police didn't move for more than a week, the teacher knocked at the doors of the local Taliban for justice. The girl "“ safe and sound, with full honour and respect was recovered by the next evening and her abductor produced before the teacher for pronouncing the punishment as he deemed fit for him The teacher being a kind hearted person and yielding to the suppliant imploring and beseeching of the mother for her only child forgave him.
In an other case, a local Swati approached the Taliban as the municipal staff was not providing him with the water connection without the illegal gratification. The Taliban commander wrote a note to be given to the municipal officer which read, "provide the connection or else we will be at your office tomorrow". The water connection was there the same day.
Now, who wouldn't want to have such a fair, honest, inexpensive and speedy system of justice? Will the authorities wake up before the masses start praying for the Taliban to take over.
Truly
Col. Riaz Jafri (Retd)
30, Westridge-1
Rawalpindi 46000
Tel: (051) 546 3344
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