Editorial
Pakistan follows a strict batch system in the armed forces and the civil services. Officers enter through open competition. They train under the same standards. They rise through defined systems of merit. This creates uniformity. It creates discipline. It creates a culture where every officer knows the value of performance and integrity. The judiciary has no such system. Judges enter through nominations. One nominee may be excellent. Another may be weak. One may hold integrity. Another may struggle with competence.
This uneven entry produces an uneven judiciary. It creates a structure where quality varies from judge to judge. It creates a system where citizens face uncertainty. The issue is not the courts. The issue is the method of selecting judges. Pakistan cannot deliver justice when judges enter through subjective choice instead of defined competition. Merit must replace nomination. Competitive examinations must replace selective shortlisting.
The solution is simple. Judges should be selected through open competition. Every candidate should pass the same standards. This includes professionals from law, civil service, academia, criminology, and other fields who bring expertise. When the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court, and specialised courts operate with judges selected through the same transparent system, the quality becomes predictable. The performance becomes reliable. The system becomes fair.
A competitive system will ensure that every judge is trained. Every judge is competent. Every judge is accountable. It will remove the culture of personalised nominations. It will strengthen public trust. It will build a judiciary where decisions are consistent across all courts. Pakistan deserves a justice system where every judge embodies merit and integrity. The reform must begin now.
