JuD justice

In the presence of a judicial system, in need of a root-and-branch reform, many experiments with parallel judicial systems have been done in the country. The latest experiment in this connection seems to be the courts set up by the militant group Jamaatud Dawa (JuD) – a group supposedly under surveillance of the interior ministry.

Some of these courts appear to be functional for the last three years, as claimed by a victim of these courts. The response of the Punjab police has been strange, to say the very least. “If anybody comes to us with a complaint or proof, we will definitely take action against these courts” claimed a policeman on the condition of anonymity. Stopping illegal courts from functioning should be the foremost responsibility of the government, for which they should do their own investigation if necessary, rather than wait for someone to bring a complaint. It is said that a spokesman of JuD defended the courts, saying that these courts are merely courts of arbitration and function only with the consent of both parties. It should be made clear that not everybody is allowed to indulge in arbitration. Only licensed and accredited practitioners backed by local laws are eligible to be involved in the arbitration of disputes.

Akbar Jan Marwat

Islamabad