Breach of privacy
IN 1628, jurist Edward Coke observed “Every man’s house is his castle”. Later, William Pitt elaborated on this principle: “The poorest man may in his cottage bid defiance to all…
From bad to worse
IN a shocking move, the government has dropped all pretence of respecting constitutional rights and democratic processes by introducing a presidential ordinance to amend the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016. The…
Failing our minorities
TWELVE-YEAR-OLD Zarviya left her home in Rawalpindi with a couple known to her family, who said they would take her to buy a Mother’s Day gift for her mother. She…
Vicious cycle
THE dual issue of the presence and use of draconian laws against political opponents continues, cementing the impression of weak rule of law, violation of due process and the vengeance…
The human cost
THE way a country treats its prisoners says a lot about its values. Nelson Mandela, who was incarcerated for 27 years for opposing apartheid, once said: “A nation should not…
The brown saviours
THE catastrophe is unprecedented. The devastation is complete. As the BBC headline, quoting Pakistan’s climate change minister, announced to a nonchalant world, ‘one-third of Pakistan is under water’. Homes, entire…
Some relief
CIVIL society, the media and activists finally let out a sigh of relief when Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar Minallah passed the short order in the ‘Pakistan Federal Union…
Minorities as citizens
“ARTICLE 260(3) of the Constitution though declares the Ahmedis/Qadianis as non-Muslims, it neither disowns them as citizens of Pakistan nor deprives them of their entitlement to the fundamental rights guaranteed…
The system is not clean
The Suthra Punjab Campaign was initiated with the noble aim of improving sanitation standards across Punjab. However, the campaign’s implementation has been criticized for its focus on superficial measures rather…
Where justice is a commodity
In the crumbling final days of the Roman Empire, justice too was for sale. Rome, once a city built on laws and moral clarity, was now a marketplace of corruption…
