THE Karsaz tragedy in which a woman driver in a luxury vehicle killed a man and his daughter, who happened to be on the same road on a motorcycle, has sparked a wave of anger and agony all across the social media. Whenever an elite commits a crime, the first reaction is to seek protection behind the façade of psychological illness. In the current case, the strategy failed early as psycho-analysis experts ruled out any mental health issue.

The world is an unfair place, and even the richcest of countries have glaring inequalities. But the situation in Pakistan is worse; the country is ruled by the influential and powerful elite who influence societal values as well as the political and economic course of the country. It is no wonder that the situation for the poor masses in the country is becoming increasingly intolerable.

According to the World Bank, over 39 per cent of the population now lives below the poverty line. Such dominance of one class has made Pakistan a hostile place for the poor and the less privileged.

Will the woman in the recent case be brought to justice? Can the judicial system be able to hold a member of the elite responsible for killing innocent people? These questions are just for the sake of asking because we know what the reality has been; the elite and the poor have been traditionally treated differently in any domain of public life.

The public’s trust in the judicial system is already low, because members of the affluent class have never been given the punishment they keep earning with their actions. The law only serves the interests of the elite class, while the underprivileged are crushed under a cumbersome litigation process. The current case is just another test for the judicial system. Just wait and watch.

Zain ul Abdin Jessar
Larkana

Published in Dawn, September 2nd, 2024