Rule of law

 "An individual who breaks a law that conscience tells him is unjust, and who willingly accepts the penalty of imprisonment in order to arouse the conscience of the community over its injustice, is in reality expressing the highest respect for the law. "
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Law differentiates humans from animals. There is no law in jungle and there is no justice. Life of jungle is a system of predator and pray where "might is right" is the only law. Unlikely a human society depends on laws where everyone claims equal rights. The only purpose of law is to ensure equal rights to every individual in the society. When there is no law, the society becomes a jungle.

In Pakistan, there are many laws which serve the purpose to ensure equal rights of everyone. But these laws are not enforced in letters and spirit. Those people who have powers and authority allegedly break the law and those who do not have any kind of power or hold are the only victims of this law. Predator-pray system has now become the part of the our society and this society is rapidly becoming a jungle.

Rule of law is as important for a society as a clean and aseptic environment for a healthy life. Lawlessness serves as a pollutant for a healthy society. Let suppose a village where whole the population receives water from a lake. An animal dies in the lake and makes whole water filthy. People start suffering from different disease on an account of using unhealthy water. They receive best medical treatment but also keep on using water from the same lake. They further invest on treatment but no outcome they get. Then someone pullout the animal from the water and treat water with antiseptic. suddenly people start recovering from disease and village once again becomes healthy. There money which was being invested on treatment is now being spent on useful purposes. Same is the case with a society having no rule of law. No matter how much we are spend to overcome the prevailing loss due to lawlessness, it will not serve the purpose unless we pullout the "dead animal" from the pond.

Over governments make promises of basic needs (Roti, Kapda aur makan) but never ensure equal rights to everyone through the rule of law. Our basic needs are tied directly or indirectly with the rule of law. What a person will do if he has something to eat and some other person snatches it? A person who lives in a society with rule of law has no fear that he will be deprived of his basic needs. He makes progress to make his life even better. While in our society where there is no rule of law, no punishment for those who grab rights of others, only goal of majority of people is to compensate the loss which they bear. So no progress there is.

If all our concern is to fulfill our basic needs, than what is the difference between a man,s life and an animal? They also live for basic needs. When we talk about humanity, we mean rights of human. And most necessary is the equal rights of all human beings on earth. People who get mandate are supposed to provide these rights. They are the custodians of the better quality of life of those people who chose them as there representatives.

It's an irony that a person who has the most privileged post of this country has immunity against any type of breach of law. A person who has the greatest powers in this country is no where accountable (the King of the jungle). And a bigger irony is that after the completion of there tenure, they flee the scene and no one is there to account them.

But one court is always there. One system exists which provide complete justice. The court of the God. There is no escape form that court. He gives chances to his creation to confess, to admit there wrongdoings and to beg to mercy. But he never forgives one who deny the rights of people under his command. He never forgives them. Only the victimized person can forgive him. And I think there would be no person on the day of judgement to forgive them.

Its the time that our leaders should understand the importance of justice and rule of law and ask forgiveness from the people ensuring their rights in future lest it should be late. As time and tide waits for none. Who knows which one is their last breath and they are called "up"??