Pakistan is no country for old or young, men or women, especially for the unprivileged. According to the World Justice Project’s 2024 Rule of Law Index, Pakistan is the third-worst country for law and order. It ranks 140th out of 142 countries, with only Mali and Nigeria scoring lower.
As an editorial in Dawn notes, the report is a true reflection of Pakistan’s “struggle to control crime, manage unrest, and reduce violence. Daily incidents of street crime, kidnappings, and terrorism in major cities underscore the need for stronger law enforcement and public safety measures.”
For progress, NAB and the FIA “must be empowered to act independently, holding all public offices accountable. The introduction of whistleblower protection legislation is a positive step, yet more needs to be done to ensure citizens feel safe reporting corruption.”
Further, Pakistan ranks 106th in ‘Open Government’ and 125th in ‘Fundamental Rights,’ 127th in Weak Regulatory System and 128th in Civil Justice system, all of which highlight challenges in freedom of expression and assembly, absence of legal safeguards to protect journalists and civil society, inconsistency in enforcing basic regulations.
The path forward, if we want Pakistan to move towards some form of normalcy is “political will and unity” as the country “is in dire need of major and genuine institutional reform.”
