Allergic to justice

Zahir Jaffer, the accused in the Noor Mukadam murder case, has filed an appeal against his death sentence, claiming that the evidence is not sufficient for a conviction, according to reports. When this case first broke on to the scene, it seemed as clear-cut as it could get. And yet, almost two years later, the case drags on and looks set to drag on for another two. Nothing, it seems, is ever conclusive in this country. There is always an appeal, an amnesty, an offer for dialogue, a way back.

Whether it is gangsters, terrorists, politicians or plain murders, they almost always seem to evade conviction no matter how strong the evidence against them is and many return to their previous activities. I can count on my fingers the number of times a high-profile criminal case has resulted in the accused getting punished. Are our police and prosecutors just that inept or do we have some aversion to justice?

Sheikh Taimur Nawaz

Islamabad