Vigilante justice: Two prisoners shot on way to courtroom

One dead, other critical; son of murder victim arrested for shooting.

LAHORE:

An under-trial prisoner was shot and killed and another left critically injured as they appeared for a hearing in connection with a double murder case at the Model Town Courts here on Saturday.

Mushtaq and Mukhtar were attacked by two young gunmen. One of the gunmen was caught and turned out to be the nephew and son of the two brothers that Mushtaq and Mukhtar were accused of murdering. The prisoners were shot as they were being taken from the judicial lockup to a magistrate’s court at around 1pm. They were both rushed to the hospital, where Mushtaq died of his wounds. Mukhtar was said to be in critical condition. The gunmen tried to flee the scene but one of them, Zeeshan, was caught by a combination of police and bystanders. The Model Town SP told The Express Tribune that the two prisoners were accused of murdering Zeeshan’s father and uncle. He said that a case had been registered against Zeeshan in Naseerabad police station and they were looking for the second attacker.

Witnesses told The Tribune that Zeeshan and his accomplice had entered the court premises from the back. The Model Town Courts are surrounded by a high boundary wall on three sides, and a very low wall at the back.

Lawyers said that the incident was just the latest in a long line of security lapses at the courts in the city that demonstrated the government’s lack of interest in the safety of judges, lawyers and litigants.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 22^nd, 2012.