KARACHI: The provincial home department on Monday informed the Sindh High Court that the formation of rules as required under the witness protection law was still in progress and sought further time to finalise the proposed draft of the rules.
It also submitted that the advisory board, the witness protection unit and a committee to assist the unit for making recommendations have already been established.
The provincial assembly had passed the Sindh Witness Protection Act, 2013, for absolute government security to witnesses in criminal cases, including life protection, reasonable accommodation, financial assistance and compensation to the legal heirs if the protected person is killed or dies during the process.
A petition was filed in 2023, seeking proper implementation of the law and since then, the SHC has issued directives expressing serious resentment upon the authorities concerned over an inordinate delay to take necessary steps for proper implementation of the law enacted around 13 years ago.
Bench gives home dept time to file comprehensive report on April 21; law to provide govt protection to witnesses was passed by Sindh Assembly 13 years ago
When a two-judge constitutional bench of the SHC headed by Justice Yousuf Ali Sayeed took up the petition for hearing on Monday, a focal person of the Home Department of Sindh filed a statement in compliance with earlier court orders.
It said that the advisory board, as defined under Section 5 (1) of the Act, has already been constituted under the chairmanship of secretary Home Department and the witness protection unit was established within the premises of the home department as required under Section 6(1) of the law to facilitate the witness protection programme.
It also submitted that a committee has been constituted under Section 9 of the Sindh Witness Protection Act.
However, the statement admitted that the proposed draft of the witness protection rules 2016, as required under Section 29 of the law, was still in process. It further submitted that the draft of the rules was under vetting by the law department, but in June 2024, the department had requested to re-examine the draft.
Thereafter, the home department had asked the stakeholders to furnish their comments on the subject draft which is still in process and a meeting was held on Jan 14, 2026 to sensitise the stakeholders to expedite the requisite comments on the subject matter, it maintained.
The home department in its statement also said, “The honourable high court is respectfully prayed that a suitable time may very kindly be granted for finalisation of proposed draft rules and for the consideration of the government viz-a-viz to complete other required activities under the Witness Protection Act 2013.”
The petitioner also submitted a statement and argued that various prayer clauses of the petition about proper enforcement of the law have yet to be complied with.
After taking the statements on record, the bench adjourned the hearing till April 21 and sought a comprehensive compliance report from respondents at the next hearing.
Citing the home and law departments, inspector general of police Sindh and prosecutor general as respondents, Advocate Tariq Mansoor had argued that the law was enacted in 2013 to protect witnesses but the respondents had made no positive efforts so far for the enforcement of the law in letter and spirit.
He also submitted that the law provided a framework for the protection of witnesses in Sindh and to ensure a safe and secure environment to record their testimonies in criminal cases, but neither the requisite funds to set up a witness protection unit had been released yet nor was it properly implemented. The petitioner asked the court to direct the respondents to immediately frame rules and also establish the witness protection unit, advisory board besides other measures as mandated in the law.
Published in Dawn, March 31st, 2026
