LAHORE: The Punjab chief minister has approved the constitution of the Witness Protection Board, which is the first step towards the enforcement of the vital Punjab Witness Protection Act of 2018, enacted by the previous Shahbaz Sharif government to ensure convictions in terrorism or other heinous crime cases.

The criminal justice system in Pakistan revolves around witnesses of a crime or act of terrorism. They either are eliminated, intimidated or bought over as there is no arrangement by the state to protect them or their identity. As a result, criminals are bailed out, exonerated or get less punishment.

Recording witness in terrorism cases is considered altogether difficult because of the fear of elimination by the terror network. Authorities quote instances in which even the serving or retired officials of the law enforcement agencies avoid recording their witness in the trial of a terrorism case.

The Shahbaz government enacted the law in the last leg of its tenure as the decision to finalise its draft was kept pending by some departments under one pretext or another for long. The real pushers were home and the prosecution departments whose responsibility is to ensure law and order, and conviction of outlaws.

Officials told Dawn on Saturday that the home department was now required to get a final approval of the provincial cabinet as it is necessary under a Supreme Court ruling declaring that “the government means the cabinet”. Following this approval in the near future, the board would be constituted to enforce the much needed law in the province.

They also said the rules of the law were also being formulated to specify its enforcement. A team of provincial home and prosecution departments and some experts was working on the rules, they said.

The Punjab Witness Protection Act provides for the witness protection board under additional chief secretary or the secretary of the home department. Its members include secretaries of the finance and prosecution departments, prosecutor general, counter terrorism police department additional IG, additional IG’s of the special branch and investigations.

The board’s job is to frame policy guidelines, have them approved by the government, and oversee their implementation, and spearhead and supervise the performance of the functions of two units to be formed under the law.

One unit is for offences of terrorism, and another for serious offences. Their heads would be appointed on the recommendation of the board.

Published in Dawn, March 24th, 2019