Reform Pakistan’s criminal justice system in 2024

Pakistan witnessed a staggering 60% surge in militancy-related incidents in 2023. The country mourned the loss of 78 lives every month on average. Notably, 57% of all incidents occurred in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and 41% in the restive southwestern Balochistan province. The country’s western borders bore the brunt of the violence, with 98% of the incidents occurring in areas adjacent to them.

At the same time, other global urban centers also grappled with persistent crime and militancy influenced by socio-economic factors. As of 2023, there were 27 ongoing conflicts in the world, primarily in Asia and Africa, involving civil wars, territorial disputes, interstate tensions, instability and sectarian strife. Organizations such as Daesh remained prominent in the global context, with varying levels of support and activity across the world.

In Pakistan, as sectarian divides, religious extremism, and criminal mafias continued to pose considerable challenges in 2023, it's time to reflect on what went wrong and what can be cured this year.

Firstly, poor governance was tolerated and characterized by a disregard for merit and a preference for loyalty over professionalism. Transparency and accountability remained lacking, allowing corruption to thrive. There was no coherent new plan to tackle these issues, and pre-existing plans were left to collect dust. Despite clear indicators — such as the pressing need to strengthen institutions and due process — Pakistan opted for quick fixes which ultimately led to adverse results.

Secondly, there was a glaring absence of the rule of law. This pushed individuals and institutions to resort to extrajudicial measures and eroding trust in state organizations. This utterly regrettable course of action inflicted significant costs, including the loss of life and property, yet there was little remorse on offer. This resulted in the radicalization of youth and widespread discontent among the masses. It led to a disturbing increase in counterattacks on law enforcement agencies, which were responded to with militarized actions and, of course, human rights violations.

It took ten military operations to restore a semblance of normalcy to Pakistan. It is important that we do not return to those dark days.

Syed Kaleem

Persistent political instability, driven by intellectual dishonesty and a flawed comprehension of domestic issues, pushed Pakistan dangerously close to chaos in the fight against terrorism. More concerning was the complete absence of guilt for propagating falsehoods, deception, and the wide spread of disinformation in the pursuit of populist politics. There was little regard for ensuing repercussions.

In the absence of accountability, some actors have emerged willing to burn down their own country in the quest for control.

In 2024, we must prioritize handling root causes and countering key enablers of extremism. This entails strengthening governance and the rule of law, eradicating radicalization, handling economic vulnerability, countering online propaganda, and managing militancy. Radicalization fuelled a drastic surge in militancy post-2001, with the number of militant attacks skyrocketing into the thousands in 2013. It took ten military operations to restore a semblance of normalcy to Pakistan. It is important that we do not return to those dark days. The initiation of de-radicalization programs and the development of an inclusive counter-narrative is critical.

Achieving political stability must be a paramount goal. We must also consider establishing a charter of good governance to enforce rule of law and cooperation among political parties, which will ensure continuity of policy and unity in the face of adversity.

There are significant threats in Pakistan from the Baloch Liberation Army (BLA), Baloch Republican Army (BRA), Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) and Daesh. Negotiating with non-conformist groups has proven ineffective, and appeasement policies have repeatedly failed. It is high time we fence up our remaining border regions.

Crimes and smuggling, a known source of terror funding, must be prosecuted aggressively in the realm of law. There is no doubt that any latitude is detrimental to respect for law and justice, which ultimately leads to increased oppression and bad laws.

A reform of the criminal justice system is the new year’s gift this country deserves. The pain we suffered in 2023 must alter us, lest it hurt us in the coming years as well.

- The writer holds a doctorate in politics and international relations and has served as a federal secretary and inspector-general of police. He tweets @KaleemImam.