> Sharia has an appeal that's difficult to understand in the West. Pakistan's official court system is deeply, deeply compromised. The police are hopelessly cor

> Sharia has an appeal that's difficult to understand in the West. Pakistan's official court system is deeply, deeply compromised. The police are hopelessly corrupt. Cases take many years to resolve, and victory goes to the person who paid out the most in bribes. This resonates with pretty much all personal and anecdotal experience I've had with the Pakistani police/judicial system. > You can use the parallel legal "system", jirga tribal law. Jirga is less "legal system" and more "binding arbitration". It evolved to end blood feuds by negotiating settlements between tribes, and as such, can be blindingly unfair. I have a mixed Sindhi/Pathan lineage. My grandfather was a tribal elder in this regard and from the stories my father told me, was responsible for arbitrating disputes under the Jirga system. By all accounts, it's as horrible and unfair as you point out in your comment. > Compared to these two equally terrible alternatives, Sharia looks pretty good. Agreed, but the real problem is the aforementioned corruption in the police/judicial system, which will still be there whether or not the local tribal elders operate under a Sharia system. I have no good ideas for solving it though, so this is mostly wishful thinking.