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Need stressed to expedite witness protection programme

By Imtiaz Ali 2016-02-23
KARACHI: Though Sindh claims to be the first province in the country to enact the Witness Protection Act, the process of its implementation leaves much to be desired, it emerged on Monday.

Sources said the importance of protecting witnesses had increased with the recent murder of two witnesses of a high-profile case.

In an effort to activate the witness protection programme, a meeting was held at the Central Police Office on Monday. It was presided over by counterterrorism department (CTD) additional inspector general Dr Sanaullah Abbasi.

The participants exchanged views on the issue and devised an implementation plan to activate a witness protection unit.

Several suggestions were discussed and it was decided that the Sindh home secretary would be approached to seek enactment of a law that allowed video conferencing of witnesses before courts and relocation and hiding of witnesses for safety. The participants also stressed that the authorities concerned release funds to hire safe houses.

`Initially, at least 50 witnesses would be provided protection in high-profile cases such as the Safoora carnage and other cases referred to the military courts,` said the Sindh CTD chief Dr Sanaullah Abbasi.

He said it was decided at the meeting that the provincial government would be approached for the enactment of a law required for switching identity of witnesses and their relocation nationally and internationally. The provincial government would also be asked to release a `revolving fund` amounting to Rs1 billion to establish the programme and to activate the witness protection unit and to hire safe houses.

It was also suggested that the government would be asked to provide official buildings such as the Sindh House for temporary use. It was also recommended that adequate funds for the cost of investigation be made available for use and protection of the investigation officers who had challaned sensitive and terrorism-related cases.

It was also suggested that the CTD AIG use the existing infrastructure of the CTD and its offices in the CPO or Civil Lines while assuming charge as chief witness programme officer.

`A witness protection unit may also be established and made operational either in the CPO or in the CTD complex in Civil Lines as both places appear to be safer than the Sindh Secretariat.

The participants were informed that under Section 6 of the Witness Protection Act-2013, a witness protection unit would be established. It was pointed out that the home department had issued a notification (SO-LE-D/6-70/2013) on Nov 26, 2013 about it but it could not be set up.

Dr Sanaullah Abbasi told Dawn that he had written a letter to the Sindh home secretary to ask him to expedite the implementation of the witness protection programme.

The home secretary has been asked to issue a notification for provision of officers of the home department for assistance of the CWPO (chief witness protection ofhcer) as is enshrined in Section 7(4) of the act.

The act also enshrines that the CWPO should be assisted by `witness protection officers`, who should be appointed or transferred from the police on deputation.