Pakistan

Sialkot lynching case: ATC summons all witnesses

Court likely to issue final verdict on the case next month.

Express February 19, 2011

GUJRANWALA: Gujranwala's special Anti-Terrorism Court on Saturday summoned all witnesses of the Sialkot lynching on February 25.

Suspended DPO Sialkot Waqar Chohan and 26 others accused in the case were presented before the court during today's (Saturday) hearing.

Two of the witnesses recorded their statements before the court and authorities ordered the remaining witnesses to appear before the court in the next hearing. Sources said the court is likely to issue its final verdict on the case next month.

Six months have passed since the tragic lynching of two brothers Hafiz Mughees and Muneeb in Sialkot and despite being assured of justice by top officials, including the president himself, the family continues to await justice.

On Wednesday, the Lahore High Court (LHC) granted bail to former policeman, Rana Ilyas, who was one of the key accused in the Sialkot lynching case. Ilyas had submitted that his co-accused, former District Police Officer Waqar Chohan, had been released on bail even though he was charged on similar grounds.

COMMENTS (22)

MUBASHER | 13 years ago | Reply @amar: Who are Dalits?

SA | 13 years ago | Reply @al: I appreciate your thoughts but what matters is that for three months the case remained inert for reasons one after the other and for a month and a half there was no judge to hear! That indeed is pathetic!!!

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Peer Pagara Horseman | 13 years ago | Reply TYME FOR JUSTICE

Hasan Sheikh | 13 years ago | Reply Imagine what the mother of those two would have gone through in these 6 months.. each night would be equal to a life-time for her.. how the scenes of crime would flash back in front of her eyes and leaving her utterly helpless. My friends.. they should have been hanged till death THE VERY NEXT DAY! Sadly... we live in a country of failed judicial system.

al | 13 years ago | Reply "Six months have passed since the tragic lynching of two brothers Hafiz Mughees and Muneeb in Sialkot and despite being assured of justice by top officials, including the president himself, the family continues to await justice." I expected more from the ET. Statements such as this (and some of the comments above) show how limited understanding of legal affairs is in Pakistani society. Six months is actually a very short period of time for a court case as large and complex as this. There are dozens of accused and witnesses. To have proceeded at the pace the courts have is remarkable. Due process and proper procedure - the essence of justice - requires careful consideration of all the evidence and ample preparation time for both the prosecution and the defense. This case would literally take lawyers hundreds of hours of work to just go through all the presented statements and evidence and prepare for a trial. As someone who has practiced criminal law in the UK, Canada and the US (in that order), I can confidently state that even the justice systems of these countries would easily take 2 or 3 years to complete a case such as this. As a former Pakistani Chief Justice once said, "Justice delayed is justice denied. But justice hurried is justice buried". This case must show that Pakistanis are better than a lynch mob intent on providing instant "justice". Let due process be respected and followed in this case, no matter how long it takes.

Mulla Toofhan | 13 years ago | Reply Much will be said and understood about our justice system depending on the punishment handed out to the guilty. It will show the strength and character of our judges. I hope that they will come up to the expectation of the people.

SA | 13 years ago | Reply @amar: Will you mind sticking to the subject? Or are you not literate enough?

henna | 13 years ago | Reply @Pakistan: I totally agree....should happent o them same like those lil boys who got bated very brutaly...n may the mother watch all this in her presence so her heart can rest in peace.. allah o akbar

abdullah | 13 years ago | Reply hang all of them

Pakistan | 13 years ago | Reply no punishment less than what we've seen happening with the two brothers

karachiite2 | 13 years ago | Reply @amar: what is the connection of this news with blasphemy law? at least find a casual link before starting xenophobic rants

Syed Fatima Mazhar | 13 years ago | Reply Alhumdullilah! God is great and InshAllah soon those monsters will be punished! Even though everything is corrupted in our govt. but they cannot hide from God.

Ahmed Mian | 13 years ago | Reply @amar: u can also do that doesn't mean ke you are or the movli's are above the LAW they can go un detected here but Allah will punish them same or maybe worse! and the law you are making fun, instead if you saw "two mulla's"doing something you just saw and you did nothing.. that was your conciousness which might be sleeping .. try to learn or know the religion please.. its far greatest then anyone can think..

bushra | 13 years ago | Reply that is well said after this video there is no need of any witness becoz no witness statement can tell truth better than the video although as per as the part they made that they were not good people and they use to nick stuff from the people even though public has no right to do this...... if public it self can take the decision it self then why there is judiciary system exist in our country ............... one of the corrupt government and judiciary of the world ...........and this is the reason of increase in crime rate...... may allah bless them ...... the sentence of the case must be death the same way..... this what Quran teaches us......

Ms.khan | 13 years ago | Reply I hope the witnesses show up and they're protected. Anybody know their status?

zainab | 13 years ago | Reply Thanks to ALLAH.

amar | 13 years ago | Reply pakis u people really have a great law called blasphemy law.Enjoy it.I happened to witness two mullahs fighting ,abusing and calling each other kafir and blasphemous and wowing invoke this law against each other

Flanaa | 13 years ago | Reply if after all the video eveidence they find these lynchers innocent, then it is proof to the world what sort of courupt judicery and politics there is in pakistan, what more eveidence do you need when we have video footage showing the crime, how can such evidence not be suitable, If such a case was in another country, the criminals would be locked up by now. no matter what the reason or story they criminals come up with, they cannot escape with the video evidence that has been shown. if this case escapes through the political and judicial nets of pakistan there is no hope for the country. No matter how high ranking the criminals are, lets see how the politics and judicery deal with this case.

Ayesha Pervez | 13 years ago | Reply Waiting desperately for justice ... I will celebrate the day those monsters are punished.

hassan | 13 years ago | Reply nothing less than death penalty!

parvez | 13 years ago | Reply This should have been done much, much earlier. Better late then never.

SA | 13 years ago | Reply Thank God finally it has picked up speed.. let's hope the verdict is fair. Just must prevail!!

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