The corrupt judiciary in Pakistan played a pivotal role in turning a fresh, young society into a socially disoriented rat race, eating at its vitals at every level like an uncontrolled cancer. It was akin to dead tissue on an infected wound restricting healing. Then, unexpectedly, with strong support of an independent media, two forces of opposite ideology surged forward to bring order in the society through a purge in the judiciary. One started to work from above the other from below. One was spearheaded by lawyers supported by freethinkers from NGOs, human right activists, secular academicians and scholars while the other was spearheaded by the Taliban type traditionalists and supported by a high number of the neglected public. The former were successful in their struggle to reinstate a born again judicial insurgent, Ch Iftikhar on March 16th, after he was removed twice from the post by a rogue general. The latter were successful in reviving justice as Nizam-e-Adal in one part of the country after it was left dormant twice in the past twelve years. To make it more perplexing, in both instances, President Asif Ali Zardari, despite his disagreement, was forced to swallow his pride like a bitter pill and accepted the unpalatable. Let us hope that the two purged ends of the judiciary are somehow harmonised to bring permanent stability to Pakistan. -DR GHAYUR AYUB, London, UK, via e-mail, April 17.