A file photo of protesters holding placards calling for justice. PHOTO: ATHAR KHAN/THE EXPRESS TRIBUNE
The special public prosecutor, Muntazir Mehdi, has excluded five more prosecution witnesses from the witness list in the Shahzeb murder case in an anti-terrorism court on Thursday.
The names of these witnesses, all of whom are private persons, were included based on the statements they made to the police earlier. Earlier, the prosecutor had dropped names from the witness list. Mehdi explained that he gave up their names because their testimonies would not lend any support to the prosecution.
Meanwhile, suspect Sajjad Talpur’s counsel failed to appear before the court due to an illness. The ATC-III judge, Ghulam Mustafa Memon, asked him to appear at the next hearing and adjourned the case till today.
Another witness, whose non-bailable warrants were issued on Wednesday, was not presented before the court as the proceedings were adjourned after the prosecutor gave up the witnesses. The state counsel said that he wanted to keep his witness away from suspects’ sight as they were influential people and could influence the witness, who will be presented today.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 29th, 2013.
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Why can't witness testify in secrecy in front of judge only. Witness should be assured secrecy or at least security in some kind of witness protection program during the trial.