A recent morning show on TV in which the security situation in our country was discussed, one major point was the issue of witnesses not coming forward to claim who the suspect was.

We need to promote anonymous reporting and give incentives to the public so that they can freely come forward and pinpoint the suspects. Why can’t we find a way to address this serious issue? Mobs are confident that no one has the guts to come forward.

I ask the investigators: is it necessary for the witness to come face to face in the court and point a finger at the suspect who looks threateningly at the witness, implying that save yourself and your family if you are ready to speak.

The programme highlighted the fact that due to lack of witnesses, only five per cent of the accused are given punishments. No wonder why criminals are so fearless.

If our president gives a speech with bulletproof glass around him and keeps a safe distance of 200 metres for addressing the nation, it is not wrong of us to avoid accusing the culprits to save our own lives.

Public and police have to work as a team to overcome this growing threat. I request the public to come forward to help police. Our responsibility is to report any criminal activity and it is the investigators’ responsibility to further take up the investigation without jeopardising the lives of the witnesses.

M. SOHAIB ALI Lahore