Corruption

Corrupt Law Enforcement System (Police System)

The Police system is extremely corrupt, and, as a result ineffective. Initial incident reports (FIR’s) are fixed to disrupt people’s lives and bribery is rampant. The Police frequently barge into less privileged people’s homes without warrants and damage property, harass occupants and at times even beat up people. By design there is no transparency or accountability enforced in the system. We know of many cases where a 'mystery fire' completely destroys ALL the records and the evidence files went missing. Furthermore, police often delays the submission of final police investigation reports, fail to produce the accused, deliberately ensure failure of witnesses to turn up and record their testimony, encourage false witnesses and even manipulate process service.

Collusion of Police, Judges and Lawyers to protect the rich and powerful

The Lawyers, Judges and Police frequently collude to prepare an impractical cause list as major delaying tactic. The dilatory tactics of lawyers are hardly ever sanctioned by courts. Many times evidence is intentionally excluded by witnesses who turn up in court to record their evidence, resulting in re-trials. Trials in criminal proceedings are not concluded within the given timeline by design and judges resort to Section 249-A or 265-K of the Pakistan Criminal Procedure Code to acquit the accused. This outcome is mostly where the accused is influential or resourceful and evidence against the accused is purposefully weakened.

Corrupt Land Revenue Department and inefficient systems

In Pakistan (and many other poor countries) it is fairly easy to pay a small amount of money to a land records officer (Patwari in Pakistan) and manipulate land ownership records. It takes years to get the land records corrected as both the Revenue courts and civil courts are indifferent, lethargic and show no urgency towards the plight of the aggrieved. The powerful and influential have the upper hand. Bribery throughout the revenue chain is rampant starting from the lowest level (Patwari) going all the way up the chain where the bribe is systematically distributed in envelopes (Lifafa’s).

Corruption in Customs and Excise/Taxation Department

Customs and excise department is Pakistan is one of the most corrupt. Extraordinary amount of discretion is used by the staff in this department to decide on import/export duties and taxes. Many times people are kept hostage because they need the product badly and can’t delay. Time is on the side of the custom’s staff and they use that as leverage to squeeze out the maximum amount from a citizen. The rot is so deep that just as the Land Revenue Department, the money trail of bribes goes all the way in the Organogram chain. Majority of Citizens’ do not have the time and energy to pursue and litigate so they give into the demands. To root out corruption, a crowd-funded source of lawyers is required who take these claims and litigate them. The objective is to point out the corrupt, document the events, litigate, create case laws, enforce transparency and public display of custom duty rates etc.

Corruption in Politics

Corruption is so extreme and rampant in politics that often politicians are purchased and sold like cattle. This is clearly evident in countries where ‘dynastic politics’ has deep roots and leadership in parties is considered a god given right by dynasties to stay in power for decades. Moreover, personal interest of politicians frequently trumps National interest which is a root cause for failed states. The cycle starts when corrupt politicians come into power using the ‘purchase of candidates and voters’. Once in n power, they steal from the national treasury to create a ‘war chest’ for the next election. In such countries the term ‘democracy’ is just a legal cover to steal, plunder and loot by the leadership. This is one of the major causes of extreme poverty in many countries since the national wealth is not used to invest in the people and infrastructure but instead is laundered and hidden in offshore accounts (As the Panama Papers exposed in the mid-2016). Citizens’ do not have resources to bring about prolonged litigation and media coverage against such powerful forces without the aid of crowd-funding of cases.

Lack of a Witness Protection Program

One of the major reasons why Politicians and Powerful get away with major crimes is that the witnesses are afraid to step up and testify to the crimes. Even with 100% fool proof evidence, the politicians are able to go free because the key witnesses are most often murdered. Just recently the Supreme court of Pakistan acknowledged the power of the ‘Mafia’ in Pakistan which was proven again and again in 2021 and 2022 when several key witnesses to various crimes by powerful politicians were killed so that they can’t appear in court in person. The solution to this is to create a Blockchain funded ‘Witness protection Program’ that can provide sufficient funding to witnesses for their own and their family’s security.

Poor Quality of lawyers

The poor Academic structure in law Schools is producing an influx of unqualified and inept lawyers. These is more emphasis on 'quantity' instead of 'quality'. In Pakistan, it is very easy to obtain a law degree from remote areas reading specific guide books containing questions and answers of some of general material to easily pass the law exam. The Bar Council does not play a vigilant role in overseeing quality of lawyers and their conduct. Furthermore, there is no requirement for continuing education and certification on ethics, morals, honesty, responsibility and compassion. These things are foreign to a majority of the lawyers. This is why lawyers in Pakistan frequently go on strikes and also have been captured on video severely beating up other lawyers and even thrashing sitting judges.

Absence of Information Systems that facilitate transparency and accountability

The courts and judges are not equipped with appropriate modern technology and systems that can facilitate transparency and accountability. Decision makers have no reliable and timely available metrics to gauge poor performance and corrupt practices to hold culprits accountable. Without computerization, transparency, accountability and auditability is simply not possible. Implementation of an accountability system is the only way of eliminating the root causes of delay. And the price of delays is not just time and money.

Biased Investigation Officers

Investigation Officers are appointed on bias and nepotism and many times their reports are discriminatory, biased and lean towards giving undue favor to the party who they have been appointed by.