The rule of law: concept and practices in Pakistan

Although Pakistan has a comprehensive constitutional framework and accompanying legal procedures, the rule of law, in practice, is still confined to conventional concepts of internal security and law enforcement. The common perception amongst policymakers and practitioners defines rule of law as being about the control and elimination of crimes, and conventional and non conventional security threats. However, this concept appears inherently flawed as it misses out some very key principles constituting the rule of law which are meant to ensure accountability and transparency before the law, equal and even application of just and clear laws including protection of fundamental rights, and accessible and impartial dispute resolution, to name a few. The scope and differences in how the rule of law has been defined has created imbalance among security institutions and affected the functionality of the law enforcement departments.

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