Shahzeb Khan. PHOTO: FILE
The final arguments of the state counsel in the Shahzeb Khan murder trial were presented before the Anti-Terrorism Court-III on Thursday.
Representing the family of the 20-year-old, who was killed in Defence last year, Abdul Maroof - the in-charge deputy district public prosecutor for the state - rejected the defence counsels’ objections over the contradictions in the witnesses’ statements that were recorded before the police and the court. Citing previous judgements, Maroof said that the statements recorded before the police are not admissible after the witnesses record their testimonies before the court.
He also dismissed another claim of the defence counsels that most of the witnesses were the victim’s relatives. The eyewitnesses have a right to tell the truth before the court even if they are the victim’s relatives or friends, he said. The court can carefully look into the details provided in the statement but it cannot declare their statements null and void, he added. He insisted that the prosecution established the case through ocular, circumstantial, forensic and medical evidence.
The judge, Ghulam Mustafa Memon, who is holding the trial following an apex court ruling to conclude the trial as soon as possible, adjourned the case due to the shortage of time till Friday (today).
The lawyers for the state will conclude their final arguments at the next hearing.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 24th, 2013.
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