Where everyone is hostile
Sir: I guess this was only to be expected. Friends
and neighbours of a murdered young man, Shahzeb Khan, had at first named the
killer and other accused but have now changed their statements. They refused to
identify the accused persons in an identification parade. It is highly likely
that they have turned hostile after being threatened — the prosecutor, for
obvious reasons, did not ask the judge to declare them ‘hostile’.
I have heard
that this kind of thing frequently happens in Pakistan. If only it were
possible to subject the two witnesses to a lie-detector test, this would make
it much simpler for the judge to decide the case. Unfortunately, this is never
done here. The killers will probably be set free, putting more lives at risk.
People like them are frequently seen speeding in their SUVs on the roads of
this unfortunate city where everyone fully expects to be either mowed down by
bullets or crushed by recklessly driven vehicles.
SHAKIR LAKHANI
Karachi
Karachi
Published in Daily Times,
March 28, 2013
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