LAHORE, May 18: Governor Khalid Maqbool announced on Saturday the constitution of district-level special squads for the security of witnesses in terrorism cases and anti-terrorism courts in the Punjab.
He also constituted a provincial monitoring committee under the provincial law minister to further improve the process of the speedy trial of those involved in heinous crime and sectarian terrorism.
The governor made the announcements at a meeting on law and order which he presided over at the Governor’s House on Saturday night.
The special squad would comprise investigation officers dealing exclusively with sectarian terrorism cases, army officers and public prosecutors concerned.
The provincial monitoring committee would comprise Punjab home and law secretaries, IGP, advocate-general and chief public prosecutor.
The committee would review the progress of cases being tried by 14 anti-terrorism courts in the province twice a month and submit report to the governor.
He said the army officers would not play the role of police and courts during the process of countering terrorism. Rather they would act as facilitators, he said.
The meeting approved an increase in the salaries of the 14 public prosecutors of anti-terrorism courts, hired on contract, from the existing Rs20,000 to Rs28,000 per month.
The prosecutors were not being given the approved monthly expenditure up to Rs8,000 for stationery and photocopies of court decisions because of some legal problem. Now they would have to bear the expenses from their salaries.
The governor approved the appointment of seven assistants and 13 stenographers for the anti-terrorism courts on contract and funds for the maintenance of the official vehicles of the judges.
The government, the meeting was informed, had allocated Rs40 million for ensuring the speedy trial of cases in the anti-terrorism courts during the current fiscal year. These funds were being spent through the Lahore High Court registrar.
The meeting was informed that 139 cases of heinous crimes, including 71 relating to sectarian terrorism, were pending in the special courts by Dec 31, 2001. After steps for their speedy disposal by the Punjab government, 28 terrorists involved in 26 cases of sectarian terrorism, were awarded death punishment during the past one month. Another seven terrorists were awarded life imprisonment whereas 98 accused were acquitted because of lack of witnesses and evidence.