Malik Riaz, the richest man in Pakistan, has got away with murder. The judges have forgiven him for his crimes, for a paltry amount, less than a quarter of the amount he illegally made. He has to pay the amount (460 billion rupees) in installments over a period of seven years. In any other country, such a crime would have seen the culprit being jailed and all his assets confiscated. This is what the Supreme Court should have done today, but did not do so.
Historians will say that today is the blackest day in our history.
Malik Riaz symbolizes everything that is wrong with Pakistan. He has bribed the most powerful people in the country in the past and will continue to do so in future. Even though he is worth billions, his name is not in the list of hundred top taxpayers. He will no doubt continue doing what he has always been doing, indulging in land-grabbing, killing hundreds of poor people while his wealth multiplies.
I doubt if he'll pay more than three or four installments, knowing that soon there will be new judges to whom he will appeal for review and reverse what the court has ordered today. I wonder why we have laws in the country when no one obeys them. Now anyone can get away with tax evasion, smuggling and even kidnapping and murder. A black future awaits us, the hapless citizens of this benighted country.
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