Public Interest Litigation in Pakistan: Unveiling Its Features, Roles, and Potential for Ensuring Justice for All
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55737/qjss.738424337Keywords:
Public Interest Litigation, Potential of Public Interest Litigation, Features of Public Interest Litigation, Roles of Public Interest Litigation, Public Interest Litigation in PakistanAbstract
The regular court system is failing to provide justice for all in Pakistan's legal landscape. However, a powerful tool exists to ensure justice for all: Public Interest Litigation (PIL). PIL acts as an effective legal weapon for the welfare of society and justice for all, and it even has the potential to push authorities for reforms that benefit everyone. However, to understand the true scope of PIL, there is a dire need to comprehend its special features, functions, and role within the Pakistani legal landscape. For this purpose, in this research, PIL’s core features and procedures will be discussed through the jurisprudential analysis of the cases developed by the courts in Pakistan. Further, this paper will also explore its special role in protecting the rights of vulnerable communities. For this purpose, specific cases in the judicial history of Pakistan wherein PIL has played a positive role will be highlighted, including labor, environment, pollution, right to life, public parks, floodwaters, assets of Pakistan like its steel mill, and public procurement to reveal the true potential of PIL. The ultimate goal is to ensure its usage in the right form, in the right manner, for the right purpose, and at the right time to advance justice for everyone.
Downloads
References
Akhil Bharatiya Soshit Karamchari Sangh (Railway) v. Union of India & Others, AIR 1981 SC 298. https://indiankanoon.org/doc/1111529/
Al-Jehad Trust v. Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo, PLD 1993 Lahore 875.
Antony, S. (2023). Broadening the Scope of Locus Standi in Public Interest Litigation. In Salient Aspect of Public Interest Litigation Jurisprudence in Sri Lanka. Centre for Policy Alternatives.
Ardeshir Kowasjee and ten others v. Karachi Building Control Authority (KMC) Karachi, 1999 SCMR 2883.
Bakhsh, F., Ejaz, N., Khattak, F., & Jamshed, J. (2022). Extrinsic and intrinsic aspects of the adversarial system of Pakistan: Fact finding through evidence. Pakistan Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences, 10(4), 1649-1654. https://doi.org/10.52131/pjhss.2022.1004.0322
Bakshi, P. M. (2020). Public Interest Litigation (6th ed.). Whytes & Co. http://gen.lib.rus.ec/book/index.php?md5=D3C7AA987FDC77DD8B27F992C7827471
Benazir Bhutto v. Federation of Pakistan, PLD 1988 SC 416.
Bhattacharya, S. (2014). Status of women in Pakistan. Journal of the Research Society of Pakistan, 51(1), 179–211.
Constitution of Pakistan, 1973, § 199, 184(3).
Dalvi, A. K. (2023). Public Interest Litigation: Tool for Protecting Human Rights in India. Multi-Disciplinary Journal, 1(1), 1–6. http://localhost:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/12342
Darshan Masih v. The State, PLD 1990 SC 513.
Dr. Ambedkar Basti Vikas Sabha v. Delhi Vidyut Board, AIR 2001 Del 223.
Dr. Barkat Ali, & Dr. Hafiz Aziz-ur-Rehman. (2021). Protection of Fundamental Rights in Pakistan: A Study of the Development of Public Interest Litigation. Al-Qamar, 4(1), 19–30. https://alqamarjournal.com/index.php/alqamar/article/view/373.
Eisenberg, T., Kalantry, S., & Robinson, N. (2012). Litigation as a measure of well-being. DePaul L. Rev., 62, 247.
Farrow, T. C. (2014). What is access to justice? Osgoode Hall Law Journal, 51(3), 957-988. https://doi.org/10.60082/2817-5069.2761
Friedman, L. M. (1989). Litigation and Society. Annual Review of Sociology, 15(1), 17–29. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.so.15.080189.000313
Gupta, P. S. (2023). The Role of Judiciary in Providing Justice Through Public Interest Litigation. Journal of Scientific Research and Technology, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7950247
Hassan, P., & Azfar, A. (2004). SECURING ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS THROUGH PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION IN SOUTH ASIA. Virginia Environmental Law Journal, 22(3), 215–247. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24785924
Hensler, D. R., Hodges, C. J. S., & Tzankova, I. N. (2016). Class actions in context: How Culture, Economics, and Politics Shape Collective Litigation.
Hussain, F. (1993). Public Interest Litigation in Pakistan. Journal of Law and Society (University of Peshawar), 12, 11.
Imran Khan v. Election Commission of Pakistan, PLD 2013 SC 120.
Jan Muhammad v. Government of N.W.F.P., 1993 CLC 1067.
Khan, M. H. (1993). Public Interest Litigation: Growth of the Concept and Its Meaning in Pakistan. Pakistan Law House.
Khan, M. S. (2014). Genesis and evolution of public interest litigation in the supreme court of Pakistan: Toward a dynamic theory of judicialization. Temp. Int’l & Comp. LJ, 28, 285.
Khurram Khan v. Government of the Punjab, PLD 2009 Lahore 22.
Lahav, A. D. (2015). The Roles of Litigation in American Democracy. Emory LJ, 65, 1657.
Levin, A. L., & Colliers, D. D. (1984). Containing the Cost of Litigation. Rutgers Law Review, 37, 219.
Luppi, B., & Parisi, F. (2012). Litigation and legal evolution: Does procedure matter? Public Choice, 152(1), 181–201. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11127-011-9860-5
Malik, A. A. (2023). Judicial Review and the Rule of Law in Pakistan. Asian Journal of Comparative Law, 18(3), 291–302.
Malik, N. (2016). Bonded Labour in Pakistan. Advances in Anthropology, 6(04), 127.
Marvi Memon v. Federation of Pakistan, PLD 2011 SC 854.
Moulvi Iqbal Haider v. C.D.A., PLD 2006 SC 394.
Nadeem, M., Qasim, M., & Ibrahim, S. (2023). Original Jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of Pakistan Article 184 (3) of the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973. Journal of Social Sciences Review, 3(2), Article 2. https://doi.org/10.54183/jssr.v3i2.339
Odote, C. (2013). Public Interest Litigation and Climate Change – An Example from Kenya. In O. C. Ruppel, C. Roschmann, & K. Ruppel-Schlichting (Eds.), Climate Change: International Law and Global Governance (1st ed., pp. 805–830). Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv941w8s.30
Pakistan Muslim League N v. Federation of Pakistan, PLD 2007 SC 642.
Parvin, K., & Ashabi, F. (2023). The Potentials of Public Interests Litigations in Restoring Public Rights; A Comparative Case Study. Comparative Studies on Islamic and Western Law, 9(4), 1–32.
People’s Union for Democratic Rights & Others v. Union of India & Others, (1982) 3 SCC 235.
Province of Punjab v. Muhammad Yaqoob, 1992 CLC 2065.
Province of Sindh v. Lal Khan Chandio, 2016 SCMR 48.
Public Interest Law Association of Pakistan v. Federation of Pakistan, 2023 CLC 1535.
Qureshi, G. M., Shahid, A., & Chaudhary, F. (2023). Analyzing the Writ Jurisdiction of High Courts: A Case Study from Pakistan. Current Trends in Law and Society, 3(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.52131/ctls.2023.0301.0014
Raja Mujahid Muzafar v. Federation of Pakistan, 2012 SCMR 1651.
Ramsharan Autyanuprasi & Another v. Union of India & Others, AIR 1989 SC 549.
Rana Mehmood Ali Akhtar v. Chairman E.G.M.I., 2019 CLC 678.
Rhode, D. L. (2000). Access to Justice. Fordham Law Review, 69(5), 1785.
Sh. Riaz ul Haq v. Federation of Pakistan, PLD 2013 SC 501.
Shela Zia v. WAPDA, PLD 1994 SC 693.
Siddiky, C. I. A. (2023). PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION IN BANGLADESH: AN ANALYSIS. [PhD Thesis, University of Asia Pacific].
Syed Mubashar Raza Jafri v. Employees Old Age Benefits Institutions, 2014 SCMR 949.
Syntron Limited v. Huma Ijaz, 2014 SCMR 531.
Talukder, S. M. (2011). Public Interest Litigation: An Effective Mechanism for Securing Human Rights and the Rule of Law. Dhaka Univ. Stud. Part F, 22, 17.
Tasbhai Motibhai Desai v. Roshan Kumar, AIR 1976 SC 578.
The State v. M.D. WASA, 2000 CLC 471.
Ullah, A. (2018). Public Interest Litigation: A Constitutional Regime to Access to Justice in Pakistan. Journal of Pakistan Vision, 19(2), 167–181.
Walia, I. K. (2009). Public Interest Litigation: An Expression of Voice for the Sufferers of Silence (SSRN Scholarly Paper 1510271). https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1510271
Warraich, A., Shabbir, I., & Jamil, M. S. (2023). Exploring the Nexus between Judicial Activism and Good Governance: A Comparative Analysis. Journal of Policy Research, 9(2), 510–517.
Watan Party v. Federation of Pakistan, PLD 2006 SC 697.
Watan Party v. Federation of Pakistan, PLD 2011 SC 997.
Weisbrod, B. A., Handler, J. F., & Komesar, N. K. (2023). Public interest law: An economic and institutional analysis. Univ of California Press.
Workers Party v. Federation of Pakistan, PLD 2012 SC 681.
Yeazell, S. C. (1989a). Collective litigation as collective action. U. Ill. L. Rev., 43.
Yeazell, S. C. (1989b). Collective Litigation as Collective Action. University of Illinois Law Review, 1989, 43.
Zaidi, N., Javed, N., & Khan, M. S. (2013). Child labor in Pakistan-a tip of an iceberg. Journal of Postgraduate Medical Institute, 27(3). https://jpmi.org.pk/index.php/jpmi/article/view/1386
Zhang, S. (2023). Defining Public Interest Under the Environmental Public Interest Litigation System. In X. Wang, X. Zhao, & N. McNamara (Eds.), Environmental Public Interest Litigation in China (pp. 43–56). Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-26526-6_3
Zullah, T. H. M. J. M. A. (1992). Human rights in Pakistan. Commonwealth Law Bulletin, 18(4), 1343–1384.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Mubashar Tariq, Hafiz Muhammad Azeem, Muhammad Zahid Rafique
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
