Turning hostile: Eyewitness changes statement during trial

Says he was given the name of the suspect by the police.

KARACHI: An eyewitness turned hostile in the case pertaining to the killing of a personal gunman of the former president of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, before an Anti-Terrorism Court on Wednesday.

Saddam Kakar, an activist of a political party, along with his absconding accomplices has been charged with killing the gunman, Abdul Rehman Irani, of the former president in the emergency section of the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre (JPMC) in December 2012.

When the case was taken up on Wednesday, the witness, who is also a leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party, deviated from his previous statement, neither identifying the suspect nor deposing against him for his alleged role in the commissioning of the offence.

The deputy district public prosecutor of ATC-III, Abdul Maroof, informed the court that the witness had earlier deposed against the suspect during his previous statements and requested to cross-examine him under section 193 (Punishment for false evidence) of the Pakistan Penal Code.

During the cross-examination, the witness confirmed that he had earlier stated the suspect’s name in the crime. In his statement before the court, he, however, said that the police had informed him about the suspect’s name.

To this, the prosecutor informed the court that this allegation was not in the witness’ previous statements.

According to the prosecution, the victim was sitting at his friend’s hotel in Saddar when the suspect, along with the absconding accomplices, came and engaged in an armed clash with the deceased. Ramzan Kakar was killed while Abdul Rehman received injuries and was taken to the JPMC. The suspect reportedly also went to the JPMC and opened fire at the victim.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 23^rd, 2014.