1. Go for reconstruction.


PRESIDENT Asif Zardari's statement that each and every internally displaced family and person will be rehabilitated with honour and dignity, is welcome. So is his instruction to the government to immediately release Rs 500 million from the Baitul Maal fund for those living in makeshift camps in the NWFP. The President issued these orders at a meeting with a delegation of parliamentarians from Malakand who expressed their reservations about a meagre amount of Rs 25,000 earlier promised for each displaced family.
The announcement coincided with a go-ahead from the government to the IDPs from Buner to return to their homes, with the Interior Ministry also directing the officials serving in the district to resume their duties. That the civil administration would start functioning immediately in the areas already cleared of the militants would give hope to the people coming back from the camps that their grievances would be redressed. It would also put to rest the rumours that those evacuated from the troubled region, after the Army had launched the operation almost a month ago, would stay in the camps indefinitely. The assurance came from the highest level with a person no less than President Zardari telling a meeting in Islamabad on Sunday that the IDPs would return to their homes sooner rather than later and their properties, damaged or destroyed, would be repaired and rebuilt by the government. The Army's success in regaining the control of Mingora marks a significant milestone but it is disturbing to find the people living there suffering severe hardships without sufficient water, electricity, gas and food for over a month. During curfew relaxation for six hours on Sunday, there was hardly any transport available to the people who wanted to reach the camps set-up in Mardan and Swabi. There is no denying the fact that the ongoing operation has to be pursued to its logical end but it is equally important to focus on the reconstruction phase once the government is through with the resettlement issue in the areas that have so far been declared safe for the return of the IDPs. This includes reconstruction of the infrastructure destroyed by militants, the proper functioning of government hospitals and educational institutions and repair of the communication network. The sooner the government ensures basic amenities to the people returning to their homes, the quicker the crisis caused by the largest ever internal displacement of the country's history would be resolved. There is also a need to pursue foreign donors to fulfill pledges of assistance they had made for the affected people.



2. A challenging task.



THE authors of the National Judicial Policy have undertaken a challenging task. Any impartial opinion survey would bring out the unpalatable fact that few people entertain trust in judiciary. The distrust has often led to demands for parallel judicial systems, ranging from summary military courts to the Nizam-e-Adl in Swat. There is a perception that that Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and a number of Supreme Court judges had been removed because they resisted pressures exerted by powerful circles that led the legal community and civil society to launch a nearly two-year long historic movement in support of an independent judiciary. The National Judicial Policy, if implemented in letter and spirit, would hopefully redress some of the age-old complaints regarding the working of the judicial system.
The main problems that the people face emanate from delay in justice which amounts to denial of justice, the high cost of litigation, the rampant corruption in judiciary from the highest to the lowest tiers and its subservience to the powers that be. The huge backlog of 1,704,871 cases pending at all levels presents a major challenge. While one welcomes the decision to dispose of the backlog in one year, one would expect that the twin imperatives of quick justice and of justice not only done but also seen to have been done are given equal importance. What is required is cooperation by the police and the lawyers if the deadlines set for deciding the cases of various categories are to be met. The hurdles in the way of the police, which is required to submit their report within 14 days, have to be removed by the provincial administrations by freeing the investigation staff from other duties. The lawyers too will have to be persuaded not to seek unnecessary delays.
Taking action against corrupt judicial officers is a tricky issue. Cells being established in every High Court to entertain complaints about corruption may not be sufficient, as common litigants alone would not be able to provide proofs of corruption. The Supreme Court should require declarations of personal and close relatives' wealth from the judges from time to time.

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CSS 2009, 2010, 2011 Qualifier