PAKISTAN: Legal Chaos

In Karachi last week, when a butcher was accused of bringing cattle into the city without a permit, his lawyer asked the court: "Is there, legally speaking, such a place as Karachi?" The government, red-faced, asked a postponement. A navy lieutenant, charged with drunkenness, boldly asked his accusers"! "On whose authority is this court-martial held? Is there, legally speaking, a commander in chief?" The court-martial was promptly adjourned.

Pakistan, the world's seventh most populous nation, is in legal chaos. Governor General Ghulam Mohammed's right to collect taxes, arrest criminals and run the country is in serious question. A month...

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