Earlier this year, the finale of a television drama delivered a haunting portrayal of a fictional mob lynching, shocking viewers across Pakistan. Regrettably, such scenes are not confined to the realm of fiction. From bustling metropolises to serene valleys, Pakistan is increasingly witnessing public executions not sanctioned by courts but by mobs driven by anger and distrust. In Karachi alone, according to the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, at least 55 individuals were lynched in the past three years. Meanwhile, an enraged mob torched a police station in Swat last June for refusing to hand over a man accused of blasphemy.
\nAt the centre of this disturbing trend is the erosion of institutional trust. When people believe that justice will never be served through legal channels, they begin to take matters into their own hands. Almost half of respondents to Gallup\u2019s 2024 survey lamented how street crimes had risen exponentially, while only six per cent believed their law enforcement agencies were doing a fine job.
\nNotwithstanding the widespread rot, mob justice is no justice at all. No qualms about that. It is the very undoing of the rule of law. When a mere allegation can lead to execution without trial, society slides dangerously into anarchy. The ease with which crowds gather to mete out violence reflects a collective mindset driven by economic hardship, fear of crime, and a pervasive sense of injustice. Beyond these socio-economic factors, it also points to a troubling blurring of the moral lines that separate the average, law-abiding citizen from the hardened criminal.
\nWhat is most alarming is the normalization of such violence. Few political leaders have condemned it, and fewer police officials have taken decisive action. Viral footage of those shouldered with the task of ensuring the writ of the state standing as passive observers, failing to intervene during lynching incidents, is like a good squeeze of lemon on the festering wounds. Even though the National Assembly passed a resolution condemning mob lynchings, they become little more than text on paper without enforcement.
\nThe state must rise to this challenge with sweeping reforms instead of lip service: fast-track justice for petty crimes, community policing, and mass awareness campaigns on due process.
\nWe keep churning out editorial after editorial, crying about how we stand at a crossroads. However, since no good has come out of it, it might be better to pray to be spared the wrath of the mobs ruling our streets. As Niem\u00f6ller warned, \u201cWhen they came I did not speak out,\u201d injustice would only grow in the face of our indifference. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Earlier this year, the finale of a television drama delivered a haunting portrayal of a fictional mob lynching, shocking viewers across Pakistan. Regrettably, such scenes are not confined to the realm of fiction. From bustling metropolises to serene valleys, Pakistan is increasingly witnessing public executions not sanctioned by courts but by mobs driven by anger […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-472741","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-editorial"},"yoast_head":"\n