Was it Shazia’s fault that she was born where she was born? Was it her fault that she had to work to survive? Was it her fault that a lawyer hired her as a domestic help though he knew she was a child? Was it her fault that she met with death the way she did?

Had Shazia been from a rich and well-known family, would we have witnessed a scenario similar to what was witnessed the other day in the compounds of the court in Lahore?

Would have people who are supposed to uphold the law behaved the way they did? Would have the police restrained their lathis and let mob-mentality take over?

Would the police have arrested scores of people for disturbing peace in the court premises and causing unwarranted distress and danger to litigants seeking justice there?

Was Shazia a lesser Pakistani than the rest of us? Is the law of the land less applicable in Shazia’s case?

The show put on by a section of lawyers in Lahore on Jan 26 was abominable and pathetic, to say the least.

Whether an accused is guilty or innocent of a crime is for courts to decide and the law has to take its own course. Instead of facilitating dispensation of justice what was the crowd trying to convey? Some serious soul-searching is warranted.

M. ALI CHUNDRIGAR
Islamabad

Source: Dawn

Date:1/29/2010