Islamabad, Oct 26 (IANS): The World Justice Project (WJP) Rule of Law Index 2024 has ranked Pakistan as the world’s third worst nation among 142 countries, when it comes to maintaining the law and order situation.

According to the report, Pakistan was ranked 140th along with Mali (141) and Nigeria (142) in terms of order and security.

Pakistan is referred to as a state where the military might is supreme and stands above all, thus putting the rights of people and the rule of law on an extremely poor footing, especially in the areas of civil and criminal justice.

Among the areas most affected by the poor justice system include civil and criminal justice, fundamental rights, open government, corruption, regulatory enforcement and order and security.

The WJP index rated Pakistan’s global ranking at 129 out of a total of 142 countries assessed.

With the top judges of the country fighting publicly against each other - claiming to be the savior of the country's legal system - the WJP’s report is a serious blot on the country, exposing its deteriorating justice system and governance.

The WJP report factored in issues like constraints on government powers, absence of corruption, open government, fundamental rights, order and security, regulatory enforcement, civil justice and criminal justice to determine rule of law performance of a country.

The report further highlighted that Pakistan's global ranking in the area of criminal justice stands at 98 out of 142 countries. In the area of provision of civil justice, Pakistan stands at 128 out of 142 countries globally. In the area of regulatory enforcement, Pakistan’s global ranking remains at 127.

Pakistan is also ranked 125 in the field of fundamental rights and 124 in the field of absence of corruption.

The World Justice Project is an independent, multidisciplinary organisation working to create knowledge, build awareness, and stimulate action to advance the rule of law worldwide.

The WJP Rule of Law Index was first piloted in 2008. Since then it has evolved, expanding to include over 142 countries.