Although Britain is renowned for its commitment to the rule of law, I often wonder whether Adil Raja will receive justice from the British courts.
Like millions of Pakistanis, I hope and pray that justice is served in Adil Raja’s case. However, experience suggests that courts are mechanisms that produce verdicts, not necessarily justice. While reflecting on this, I recall the Socratic dialogues on justice in The Republic, which compel me to question whether justice is truly attainable in this world.
The establishments of different countries often share common interests. This is understandable, as they frequently collaborate. Therefore, might MI6, or another British intelligence agency, assist its Pakistani counterpart, either at an organisational or individual level?
Many in Pakistan believe that the ISI will indeed receive support. The real question is: to what extent?
Some of my relatives served in the British Army before the partition of the subcontinent in 1947. The stories I heard from these men led me to believe that the British have a tradition of upholding the rule of law. This impression, cherished since childhood, was shattered by Britain itself.
Over a decade ago, Dr Imran Farooq was brutally murdered in London. I read that Scotland Yard’s investigations are ongoing, with over four thousand pages written, yet the killers remain at large. This is difficult to believe, unless one assumes that the British police are not much different from their Pakistani counterparts. Moreover, it is widely known that Britain maintains an effective intelligence network in Pakistan. Thus, I find it hard to accept that Scotland Yard could not identify those responsible for Dr Imran Farooq’s murder. Absolutely not!
Consider the foiled attempt to murder Waqas Goraya, a Pakistani dissident living in the Netherlands. The police detected the conspiracy in its early stages, discreetly followed the culprit, and arrested him with the knife intended for the crime.
Then there is the case of Arshad Sharif, a brilliant investigative journalist murdered in Kenya. Tasneem Haider Shah, a British national of Pakistani origin, alleged that the plan to assassinate Arshad Sharif and Imran Khan was devised in London at the behest of the Sharif family. He further claimed that the Sharif family watched Arshad Sharif’s killing via a live video call. The Metropolitan Police dropped the investigation in July 2024, citing ‘insufficient evidence’.
Surprisingly, when it comes to the Sharif family, who have reportedly amassed significant wealth in the UK, the British authorities seem to overlook the ‘Unexplained Wealth Order’ legislation. Or perhaps, in this case too, they are constrained by ‘insufficient evidence’? Who knows!
Adil Raja’s legal battle is with the ISI. For the first time, the agency is making such a move outside Pakistan. The consequences of this case will be far-reaching, and its outcomes will be scrutinised closely.
In some instances, the performance of British institutions has been disappointing. Now is the time to assess the impartiality of the British judiciary.
