I am shocked to learn of the verdict given by the trial Court in Pakistan in the Indian Airline hijacking case, I hope justice will be procured through the process of appeal in the civilian courts.
‘The hijackers were Sikhs and not Polish dissidents, They landed in Pakistan and not in West Germany, That is where the geography was against them; fate was against them; and, of course, political considerations in South Asia were against them. Itis a matter of record that the accused used no violence and threatened nobody during the incident. At the very first opportunity they told the authorities concerned that their actions were meant solely to highlight the STATE TERRORISM unleashed against the Sikhs by a Nation State, Under these circumstances, as demanded by precepts of Islam, justice ought to have been tempered with understanding and compassion. It is sad to note that in Pakistan those two indivisible qualities have been missing throughout the present saga. The accused were neither permitted to ‘meet with their families nor allowed to consult lawyers of their choice. During the trial itself no observers even were permitted to report on the proceedings.
I can understand the political pressures that might prompt such a verdict. After all India that is Bharatisa vast country and immensely more powerful than Pakistan. But somehow I keep hoping that now, when there is no Martial Lay in force in Pakistan and the process the open courts shall not ‘only do but also be seen to be doing justice.
Article extracted from this publication >> February 7, 1986
