RAWALPINDI: Like in military courts, the Punjab government wants in-camera trial of terrorism-related cases in civil courts to ensure the suspects are punished.

But instead of making legislation in this regard, the provincial government has asked the local administration and the police chiefs across the province to appear before the courts and request the judges to conduct the in-camera proceedings.

A senior police officer told Dawn that Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had directed all the district coordination officers (DCOs) and the district police officers (DPOs) to appear before the courts, if summoned, in terrorism and other cases related to the detention of individuals placed on the watch list of the police under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

“It has been observed that hardcore elements arrested in terrorism cases were released by courts due to lack of evidence. Therefore, a fresh guideline has been issued by the chief minister to the police and district administration to try to end the trend,” he said.

The district coordination officers have the authority to issue detention orders under the new constitutional amendments. The DCO can issue the detention orders for 30 days of any individual placed on the watch list.

“The objective of the government is a fair and speedy trial of cases. The district administration and police officers are considered well informed about the cases and the law instead of the low-ranking officials,” Israr Ahmed Abbasi, the district police officer Rawalpindi, told Dawn.

On the other hand, prominent lawyer Raja Saimul Haq Satti was of the view that the government should show a political will to promulgate a “witness protection act” to provide protection to the witnesses.

He said the government should act promptly because there had been life threats to judges, lawyers, prosecutors and witnesses since long.

He said in some cases of terrorism, in which the state was the complaint, a fictitious name was used for the state official lodging the FIR apparently to provide them protection.

Prime minister’s special assistant Barrister Zafarullah, who deals with legal matters, told Dawn that the government had also tried to protect judges, lawyers and witnesses by putting some clauses in the Protection of Pakistan Ordinance (PPO).

“We are in the process of enacting specific laws for the protection of judges, lawyers and witnesses,” he said.

Published in Dawn, February 27th, 2015

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