EDITORIAL: The way the 2016 murder case of social media star Qandeel Baloch has ended on Monday with the accused walking free shines a light on our failing justice system as also of our patriarchal society in which men can do whatever they fancy but women must behave in a certain manner for the sake of family honour.
Notably, the murder happened soon after she uploaded a video of a flirtatious meeting with a local cleric, Abdul Qavi, at a hotel. From thereon started the saga of getting justice for the aspiring young woman who was just 26-year-old when life was sniffed out of her before she could realise all her dreams.
During the proceedings before a trial court on August 21, 2019, the parents, like most other parents, tried to protect their son, and submitted a statement saying they had forgiven Waseem and requested for his release. That meant admission of his crime. For, in case he was not the murderer why did they submit the pardon statement before the court? It was of little help, though.
Apparently, they were unaware that under the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2004, penalties can be awarded by a judge regardless of whether or not a compromise has been reached in a case of so-called honour killing. It was a much-needed amendment as it had become normal practice for a brother, father or an uncle to kill a woman in the name of family honour and another close relation to forgive him. In its wisdom the court decided to sentence the accused to life imprisonment. But in the latest development Multan bench of the Lahore High Court acquitted him of the murder charge after all the prosecution witnesses resiled from their statements.
That all the witnesses should retract says something about the justice system. Since the trials go on for years, people tend to get tired. Besides, in the absence of any witness protection system influential accused parties use either money or fear tactics to prevent the witnesses from staying firm.
None of this is a secret. Last month, Prime Minister Imran Khan reiterated his resolve to make dispensation of justice effective through “massive amendments” to the British era laws which, he said, would help bring a revolution in the criminal justice system and simplify the legal procedure for the common man. Hopefully, that would be done sooner rather than later in consultation with all the stakeholders.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022
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