Countering high acquittal rates: Punjab to acquire modern prosecution technology

PPD is seeking APA’s advanced equipment which includes superior lie-detection technology.

ISLAMABAD: In an effort to reduce the extraordinarily high acquittal rate of accused in terrorism cases, Punjab’s Public Prosecution Department (PPD) has decided to adopt modern prosecution methods being used by the American Polygraph Association (APA), a leading professional polygraph organisation in the world.

The department is seeking APA’s advanced technology which primarily includes superior lie-detection technology and expert polygraph operators in order to improve the quality and efficacy of evidence presented in courts.

“A recent research reveals that the accuracy of the new computerised polygraph system being used by APA is close to 100%,” said one of the documents submitted in Supreme Court by PPD. “Most errors occur with inexperienced polygraph examiners,” it added.

The documents were submitted to the Supreme Court when it took notice of the high acquittal rate in terrorism cases. PPD Chief Chaudhry Jahangir told The Express Tribune that the department will seek APA guidance after getting response from the centre.

“APA-style technology has become inevitable now,” Jahangir said, adding that his department has also sought the federal government’s assistance to provide them direct and uninterrupted access to cellular phone data. The data is centrally managed by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) which is a federal body.



The department also wrote to the federal government following a report that 74% of the accused being tried in the Anti-Terrorism Courts (ATCs) from 1990 to 2009 had been acquitted.

Meanwhile, documents submitted to the apex court continued to state that over 231 out of the 311 cases decided in the ATC resulted in acquittals in the past 19 years.

“It’s recommended that cell phone and telephone surveillance technology for counterterrorism purposes be given to the counterterrorism department.”

The report also claimed that in 65 cases (36% of all cases), the accused have been acquitted because they have not been mentioned in the first information reports – making it the number one reason for the court to acquit terrorism suspects.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 3^rd, 2013.