July 16, 2017

The dilemma of undermining justice for politics

located:	Afghanistan, Pakistan
editor:	Shadi Khan Saif

Two high-profile political leaders in Afghanistan and Pakistan are facing courts in cases of different yet grim nature, but there are already signs of maneuvers to undermine the legal system for political reasons.

Evading mounting pressure to face court over allegedly molesting his political rival, the Afghan Vice President Abdul Rasheed Dostum has urged the international community ‘not to intervene’ in domestic affairs. In a statement issued by his office, the former warlord has stated that such ‘irresponsible remarks’ by the foreign diplomats and missions will only spark concerns among the people. On Wednesday, the U.S. Embassy Kabul Special Chargé d’Affaires Ambassador Hugo Llorens said the ongoing legal process [against Dostum] underscores the Afghan state’s efforts to uphold the rule of law, combat impunity, and send a signal to the Afghan people, and indeed to the whole world, that no one, no one in Afghanistan, is above the law.

Ahmad Ischi, a senior ethnic Uzbek politician from Dostum’s hometown has levelled serious allegations of torture and sexual abuse against the Afghan VP. The matter is the court.

In Pakistan, the country’s prime minister Nawaz Sharif has made it clear he will not resign regardless of the demands being made by the opposition’s mounting pressure on him in the wake of money laundering and corruption cases.

Earlier this week, a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) by the country’s Supreme Court noted that significant gap/disparity amongst the known and declared sources of income and the wealth accumulated by the by the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and his sons Hussain Nawaz and Hassan Nawaz.

For both countries, it is absolutely crucial that any efforts to politicize the cases or use it to sow all sorts of tensions for political gains would only harm the rule of law, peace and stability. Legal system in both the countries must be allowed to freely and fairly pursue justice and not succumb to any political pressures. Fair and transparent justice system is a hallmark of a democratic society.