But Equality Under Law Also Requires Accountability for the State
Here is where the simplistic “they knew” argument collapses.
A tower does not emerge overnight.
One Constitution Avenue reportedly took years to construct, market, sell, occupy, and operate. During that period:
- Plans were submitted
- Approvals were processed
- Utilities were connected
- Occupancy occurred
- State agencies remained present throughout
If the project was illegal from inception, then the state itself was either:
- Complicit, or
- Criminally negligent
There is no third option.
A regulator cannot sleep through twenty years of construction and then pretend it discovered illegality yesterday.
Punish the Builder. Punish the Officials. Not Just the End User.
A functioning legal system distinguishes between:
| Stakeholder | Responsibility | Proper Remedy |
|---|---|---|
| Developer / Builder | Primary actor behind unlawful development | Criminal liability, fines, asset seizure |
| Approving Officials / CDA Officers | Regulatory negligence or corruption | Investigation, prosecution, dismissal |
| End Buyers / Tenants | Potential innocent third parties | Compensation / relocation / structured legal remedy |
Pakistan routinely skips the first two and jumps straight to the third.
That is not justice.
That is administrative cowardice.
Midnight Raids Are Governance by Intimidation, Not Competence
Even if evacuation was legally warranted, the manner matters.
Dragging families out at 1 a.m. with overwhelming police force, limited notice, and logistical chaos projects state muscle—not state maturity.
If notices existed, why was enforcement staged like a counterterror raid?
If the matter had been litigated for years, why was there no phased evacuation plan?
If foreign nationals and tenants were present, where was the relocation protocol?
Brutality does not become professionalism merely because paperwork exists somewhere in a file.
