Witness to issue video statement from Sri Lanka. PHOTO: FILE
The Supreme Court has accepted the offer of one witness, Imran Munir, to record his statement through video link in the case of the enforced disappearance of Masood Janjua in July 2005.
A three-member bench, headed by Justice Jawwad S Khawaja, has directed Data Processing Manager Umar Salman to complete arrangements for the recording within ten days.
According to his statement to the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) on December 5, 2009, the witness claimed to have seen Janjua in the custody of ISI Brigadier Mansoor Saeed Sheikh in a cell near Zakria masjid in Rawalpindi between July 28, 2006 and March 2007. Dr Munir is currently living in a UNHCR camp in Sri Lanka, where he is seeking asylum.
During the hearing, Advocate General Punjab Mustafa Ramday told the bench that Punjab Police SP Potohar Town Haroon Joya travelled to Sri Lanka to contact Imran Munir. He said Munir sent an email agreeing to a video statement before the court.
“I am fully aware of the present scenario; therefore, I decided to notify you voluntarily that I am a refugee under the United Nations Refugee Convention, 1951, and the UN’s 1967 protocol.”
“According to the said convention and its protocol, my life is fully protected and I am not subjected to expulsion to my country where I have a fear of prosecution, and neither am I obliged to meet any of the members from the federation of Pakistan,” Munir said in his email.
He added that his passport has been revoked by the interior ministry on behalf of the ISI and he is thus no longer a citizen of Pakistan.
However, Munir agreed to the video statement as he said, “I love Pakistan and I respect the Supreme Court due to the known facts in my case.”
AG Punjab told the bench that Joya will return to Pakistan in the next four days and will submit a report regarding the matter.
Amina Masood, Janjua’s wife, expressed satisfaction at the development.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 14th, 2014.
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An EU Based Diplomatic Mediator " Faisal Muhammed " conformed last month that Dr Munir who ask Asylum in Sri Lanka was affiliated with Indian Agencies.He said that Dr Munir is an cleaver conspirator who is still engage creation a plan " Bedaub Pak Army ".
Can any one from legal fraternity qualifying under article 5 of Constitution, comment on legal standing of such statement.