If revenge is a dish best-served cold, justice is one whose rotten remains are scattered in front of a common Pakistani citizen like mere animal feed. That may encapsulate our perception in the eyes of authorities residing in the palm of the ruling elite. Amidst their disregard and dehumanisation of anyone not tall enough to stand by their land cruisers and SUVs, one begs to know; who is the one at fault? Those who go by their days well aware of their power and influence over the state’s decisions, or the state whose corrupted law and rampant injustice plague our society.

The most recent display of such gross entitlement is by Natasha Danish, wife of a prominent businessman, who claimed the lives of two and injured four on August 19th near Karsaz, Karachi. The accused, while allegedly being under the influence, ran over Imran Arif, 60, and his daughter Amna Arif, 26, in broad daylight and promptly fled the scene. Authorities formed a special investigation team to probe the incident and the offender was also in police custody on a 14-day judicial remand. However, keeping in mind, her attitude and conniving smile while in custody, one already knew this to be a tale as old as time. 

It is a routine occurrence that a rich, entitled brat commits a heinous crime and only after media attention and public outrage are our authorities awoken from their shameless slumber. A pretence of justice is put on while governors toot their horns of timely action and murderers are inconvenienced by a small stay at their local jail. Soon enough, they emerge as the biggest advocators of mental health and awareness campaigns are run by their lawyers. Finally, the show is drawn to a conclusion via bail and blood money and before you know it, the perpetrators have jetted off to their next travel destination in an attempt to ‘heal’ from the bad experience.

Meanwhile, families of those who have been wronged are stuck between the rocky road of justice and a quiet settlement. Truth be told, an average middle-class man neither has the time nor resources to exhaust themselves in court visits. Especially when said visits are against bigwigs who spew phrases such as: “You don’t know who my father is” while under arrest. 

Furthermore, if the accused is convicted by any stroke of luck and public pressure, it isn’t for long. One such example is of Shahrukh Jatoi, the son of an influential feudal family, who murdered Shahzeb Khan in cold blood back in 2012. An altercation had taken place between Shahzeb and Shahrukh’s friend, Siraj Talpur’s servant who was verbally harassing the victim’s sister. Soon enough Shakrukh and Siraj arrived at the scene with armed guards and the former proceeded to fire ariel gunshots while spouting the infamous phrase that every privileged person deems their right to say: “You don’t know who I am or what I can do”.  While Khan’s father, a DSP himself, attempted to control the situation by making his son apologise and drive away, Jataoi’s ego knew no bounds. He went on to follow and shoot at Khan’s car until it flipped over. By the time Shahzeb reached the hospital, he was dead. Shahrukh Jatoi was then sentenced to lifetime imprisonment but today he is out and about as a free man. 

While it is true that a lost life can’t be compensated for, justice can bring at least some semblance of relief to the victim’s family. In the same way that Shahrukh’s imprisonment couldn’t bring back the brother whose only crime was taking a stand for his sister; Natasha’s punishment by law couldn’t have brought solace to the grieving mother whose daughter was on her way to an IELTS exam and a bright future. What it could’ve done, however, is remind us and the world that equality and justice are not long-lost chapters in Pakistan’s history. That all hope of humanity is not lost for those whose belief in this country is hanging by a tattered thread.

Written By:  Zunaira Badar Jalali