Research, ideas, and leadership for a more secure, peaceful world
A Focus on Pakistan's Judiciary and Media
A Panel Discussion with:
Aitzaz Ahsan, Osama Siddique and Mir Rahman
Pakistan has encountered unprecedented events and challenges in the past couple of years. General Pervez Musharraf's declaration of a state of emergency and his removal of most of the Pakistan senior judiciary in 2007 triggered an unprecedented lawyers and civil society movement in Pakistan. Two years hence, there is a lot to report that is positive. The judiciary has been restored; elections have brought in governments from the country's main political parties and the General is on a lecture tour. But at the same time, inflation is high, the economy is struggling, the people are harassed by lawlessness and a spate of terrorist attacks, and major military operations are underway in Waziristan and other areas of FATA and Pakhtunkhwa. Against this backdrop, the strident cry of protesting lawyers; the ostensible justification for their actions by the Taliban; and a widespread feeling amongst the people of Pakistan, is that the Pakistani justice system does not work and perhaps the media is in need of self-regulation. At the same time, major internationally funded projects for reform are being launched.
But there are many questions. The panel will address the following:
What is different about the current judicial reform agenda from those that failed in the past? Do we even have enough time to pursue longer term strategies or are some more radical steps required? Are lawyers themselves an obstacle to justice sector reform? Is the judiciary getting too embroiled in the current battles around removal and appointment of judges and too intrusive in political matters and can this lead to a tyranny of the judiciary? Does the media, which played such a pro-democracy role during the lawyers movement, have a similar role to play or is the media getting out of hand and needs self-regulation?
If the media is dependent on the establishment, is there is no such thing as an independent editorial policy? Has the media overlooked political favorites playing a detrimental role in the nascent democratic process for the country?