Missing anchorperson
TV PERSONALITY Imran Riaz remains missing, his whereabouts unknown. The prominent anchorperson — followed by millions on YouTube — was arrested on May 11 by Punjab police under the Maintenance of Public Order rules. The police say they released him when the detention order against Mr Riaz was withdrawn, but that he was ‘abducted’ by unidentified persons shortly thereafter.
Mr Riaz’s family, on the other hand, believes the police were complicit in the anchor’s kidnapping, and it is commonly believed that he is in the custody of powerful forces within the state. Since officially, the state has disavowed any responsibility for Mr Riaz, there has been no information about the conditions he has been kept in, whether he is healthy and in good physical condition, or whether he is even alive.
Indeed, his case now seems doomed to becoming a footnote in the long list of excesses perpetrated by the state to keep dissident voices in check. To render someone ‘missing’ is perhaps the worst cruelty a state can perpetrate. It condemns entire families to an unending nightmare of not knowing where their loved ones are, and in what state. Pakistan has been one of the worst offenders on this count.
Mr Riaz is not, after all, the only Pakistani whose whereabouts are currently unknown. However, that does not make his case any less condemnable. A petition seeking his recovery is slated to be taken up again by the Lahore High Court this week.
In the last hearing, the Punjab IG had assured the court that the police investigation was “going in the right direction”. A week earlier, he had assured the court that there was “positive progress” in the case. It is disappointing that the Punjab IG has been allowed to get away with these empty excuses for so long.
Every day this case is prolonged is an injustice to Mr Riaz and his worried family. The court must now ensure results.
Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2023
MDCAT cheating
THE crisis of dishonesty that afflicts all sectors of Pakistani society includes academia. Unfortunately, the resort to illegal means is not uncommon in our houses of learning. Yet while all academic corruption is reprehensible, when sectors such as medical education — which have a direct impact on human lives — are infected by the contagion of dishonesty, the state cannot stand by and do nothing. The recent scandal involving the use of illegal means during the recent Medical and Dental Colleges Admission Test should be an eye-opener for the state as well as the medical community, as allowing ‘doctors’ who have cheated their way through the system to enter the profession is tantamount to playing with patients’ lives. As reported, some students, particularly in KP, resorted to using various gadgets to cheat in the MDCAT. The caretaker health minister says ‘mafias’ are involved in the racket, with some media outlets saying that a former KP-based government employee is the mastermind of this dubious scheme. Apparently, candidates made use of ‘wireless GSM pens’ with mikes, micro earpieces and other devices powered by Bluetooth to get external help in order to solve their papers.
Tech experts say that such devices can be neutralised by using jammers. Certainly, the authorities need to look into such solutions to prevent novel ways of cheating. But beyond the immediate controversy, there is a need for deeper introspection to root out the menace of corrupt practices from the academic realm. Particularly where medical education is concerned, some senior doctors have recommended life bans on candidates who cheat. Considering that a wrong or botched prognosis — which is the expected outcome if individuals enter the profession using illicit means — can literally kill people, this suggestion is not without merit. Aside from the menace of cheating, moves to lower standards of admission to medical colleges are also a bad idea. The Sindh government had previously reduced the pass percentage for admissions to medical school, before the move was struck down by a court order. Simply put, only the most well-trained and ethically responsible individuals should be entering the health profession. Those who cut corners or cannot handle the academic rigour of medical training should opt for other careers. All stakeholders — the government, the PMDC, the PMA and medical colleges — need to take a united stand against academic dishonesty.
Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2023
The Isa epoch
IN a ceremony marked by constitutional gravitas as well as what some might term rightful vindication, Justice Qazi Faez Isa assumed the mantle of the chief justice of Pakistan on Sunday, heralding what the nation hopes will be a period of judicial prudence and wisdom.
The optics of the event were rich with irony, with the president, who had previously filed a reference against the Supreme Court judge over alleged misconduct and non-disclosure of assets, himself administering the oath.
With the new chief justice’s spouse standing by his side, it was a symbolic moment that sent “a clear message of steadfastness”, as put by one participant.
The new chief justice jumped right into action and constituted a full court to preside over his inaugural hearing as chief justice, one that aims to resolve nine challenges to a law that, among other things, requires the formation of benches on constitutional matters of public importance by a committee of three senior Supreme Court judges.
In a first for the country, he also ordered the proceedings to be broadcast live to the public. The constitution of a full court — a rarity in the court of the previous Supreme Court chief justice — and the live telecast of the hearing, can be viewed as a promising start, a sign that Chief Justice Isa is keen to chart a path firmly rooted in jurisprudential integrity rather than the shifting sands of populism that marred his predecessor’s tenure.
Former chief justice Umar Ata Bandial was at one point lambasted by fellow members of the judiciary for having begun to run a “one-man” show, and so his time in office saw more controversy than judicious stewardship of the nation’s highest legal office.
Justice Isa takes charge at a time when the judiciary faces a myriad of challenges, from more than 50,000 cases pending before the apex court out of some 2.2m to be decided overall, to the critical task of restoring the public’s confidence in the justice system.
Moreover, there is the ever-looming test of safeguarding the judiciary’s independence in the face of executive incursions.
Some of the more pressing concerns, however, include the delay in general elections, the trial of civilians in military court, and pending references against the chief justice’s colleague Justice Mazahar Ali Akbar Naqvi.
It is precisely these challenges that lend the new chief justice the opportunity to carve out a legacy of robust judicial leadership, guided by a moral compass that remains unswayed by the tempestuous winds of political expedience.
As he embarks on this pivotal journey, we hold out measured, but optimistic hope that under his leadership, the top court will not only adjudicate, but guide the nation towards a path paved with justice, equality and the rule of law.
Published in Dawn, September 19th, 2023