Sir: Gone are the days when true justice was served by the likes of Hazrat Umar. He made it a point to mingle with the common man on the streets. Unfortunately, nowadays, our esteemed judges stay in air-conditioned courtrooms. That is the reason for their rulings ending up as disastrous mistakes. Take the example of the Peshawar High Court, which has recently passed judgment on a four-year-old suit. The original suit was against the University Town Municipal Organisation, which had illegally leased a public park to a person for using it as a wedding hall and restaurant. The judge changed the entire suit and instead started the investigation in terms of commercial properties in University Town. Instead of shutting down the illegal construction of the restaurant, the judge delayed the suit by four years, allowing the restaurant to run its business. To add insult to injury, instead of convicting the illegal occupants of this restaurant, the judge ordered the eviction of all commercial businesses from University Town within two days. Curiously, this judgment was passed two days after the owners of the illegal restaurant had sold the disputed property to someone else. These commercial businesses of University Town include hospitals, clinics, offices, banks, schools, colleges, hostels, etc.
Ironically, in 2008, when bomb blasts and kidnappings prompted schools and colleges based in Hayatabad to seek the help of the ANP government for security, they were flatly refused and were told to move to a safer location (University Town) at their own expense. After spending millions on relocation, now these same schools and colleges are again being told to move to another location. The original culprits have escaped judgment. It was even more saddening to see how government authorities have sealed commercial businesses. When the authorities shut down electricity and gas to the Johar Khatoon Women’s Hospital, there were still women and families in the hospital. I guess that is how justice is served in Pakistan. Our leaders and judges find ways to distract the attention of the people by throwing new problems at them. The poor students have to find new hostels and the poor patients have to find new clinics and hospitals. Please let us live in peace.
SHAHRYAR KHAN BASEER
Peshawar