
By Justice Markandey Katju–
(Justice Markandey Katju is a former Judge, Supreme Court of India, and former Chairman, Press Council of India. The views expressed are his own)
“Bane hain ahal-e-hawas muddai bhi munsif bhi
Kise vakeel karein? Kisse munsifi chaahen?”
~ Faez Ahmed Faez
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, along with former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmud Qureshi, were sentenced by a special court on Tuesday to 10 years imprisonment in the cypher case.
There is an adage in Hindustani: “Jaat kahe sun jaatni, isi gaon mein rehna. Billi oonth le gayi, to haanji haanji kehna” (A jaat said to his wife: Listen, we have to keep living in this village; if the king says that a cat carried away a camel, just nod your head and say, “Quite right, Your Majesty, quite right”).
To know the reality of Pakistan, one should replace the word ‘Jaat’ in the adage by Qazi Faez Isa (the Chief Justice of Pakistan, who loyally does as he is told by the Pakistan army), the word ‘jaatni’ by other judges in Pakistan (who loyally obey Qazi Faez Isa), and the word ‘gaon’ by the country.
One can then understand the working of the judiciary in Pakistan, and know why Imran Khan and Shah Mahmud Qureshi were convicted and sentenced to long terms in jail.

Pakistani judges, including the Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, have become modern Judge Jeffreys, the infamous ‘hanging judge’ who sentenced hundreds of people to be hanged as desired by English King James II, or like Roland Freisler, the notorious President of the People’s Court during Nazi rule, who sentenced the accused who tried to assassinate Hitler to be hanged by piano wires, or like Maulvi Mushtaq Husain who sentenced Prime Minister Bhutto to death by a verdict which is regarded universally as judicial murder.
I have already opined that a trial in jail is no trial. It is evident that although Imran Khan enjoys support of about 90% of Pakistan’s population, the Pakistan army, which is the real ruler of Pakistan, is determined not to allow Imran Khan to again become the head of government.
Therefore, on the army’s direction, a bench presided over by Qazi Faez Isa gave a flawed verdict, depriving Imran Khan’s PTI party of its symbol. And now with this 10-year sentence, again as per the wishes of army, the court has ensured that Imran, who is already above 71 years old, should spend the rest of his life in jail.
Dark days have indeed come to Pakistan.