July 24, 2021 ISLAMABAD: The US State Department has portrayed the judiciary of Pakistan in an extremely negative manner and stated that theoretically the country’s judicial system operates independently of the executive branch but the reality is quite different. In its latest report, ‘2021 Investment Climate Statements: Pakistan’, the State Department says, “Pakistan’s judiciary is influenced by the government and other stakeholders. The lower judiciary is influenced by the executive branch and seen as lacking competence and fairness. It currently faces a significant backlog of un...