Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry’s vision of a just society was quite visible when during his address to International Jurist Conference in London, he stressed that the rule of law is the best remedy to fight terrorism. In our country, generally both the things are seen in isolation. The obvious consequence is that we have become embroiled in weeding out terrorism. Confronting the menace without rule of law is like banging one’s head against a brick wall. The government itself is to blame. Its executive organs seem least interested in either respecting the judiciary or submitting to the authority of law. They have been making a travesty of law as evident from their actions.
The atmosphere of lawlessness that has been spawned as a result of this intransigence over the years accounts mainly for the scourge of terrorism and crime. Absence of rule of law also means that the government authorities and officers consider themselves accountable to no one and are free to shirk their duty while indulging in errant practices. Although judiciary has been playing a proactive role in asserting itself on every occasion, it has been met with defiance. Still a lot needs to be done to bring into existence the ideal society Chief Justice Chaudhry portrays in his speeches. The people as of now have suffered a lot owing to terrorism and lawlessness. The government whose main job is to safeguard their life and property must pay heed to Mr Justice Chaudhry’s guideline.