MULTAN, Aug 16: The defence in Meerwala gang-rape case has assured Dera Ghazi Khan anti-terrorism court that it will complete series of its witnesses today (Saturday).
When the ATC reassembled on Friday to take up the case being tried in-camera on day-to-day basis, Jatoi police station in-charge Inspector Abdul Lateef Chandia told the court that Fayyaz Husain of Meerwala could not be traced out. He said the notables of the area had told the police that he (Fayyaz) had been missing since the registration of the case on June 30 last.
The court on Aug 10 summoned Fayyaz Husain to appear as a defence witness on Aug 15 on the request of defence counsel Malik Muhammad Saleem. He was supposed to record his statement as a witness to the alleged nikah of Mukhtaran Mai with accused Abdul Khaliq.
Moreover, the defence had also pleaded that he was the accused named by the complainants but the police had arrested and were prosecuting one Fayyaz Husain of Rampur village. The arrested Fayyaz had no relationship with the accused while the other Fayyaz was the first cousin of main accused Abdul Khaliq.
Fayyaz did not appear in the court on Aug 15 and the police told the court that he was missing. At this, the court had issued his non-bailable warrants for Aug 16. The police had also informed the court that Fayyaz was wanted in a case registered by Alipur police station under section 337 PPC on Feb 16, 2002. The court had sought the record of the case as well on Thursday.
The record of the case that was produced before the court on Friday revealed Fayyaz was on bail in the Alipur case and trial of the case would be initiated for the first time on Sept 16, 2002, by an area court. While reissuing warrants of Fayyaz, the court directed the police to contact the guarantors of Fayyaz in the Alipur case to ensure his availability.
The other witness of the alleged nikah of Mukhtaran Mai, Ghulam Husain was present in the court. However, the prosecution team, headed by special public prosecutor Ramzan Khalid Joiya, informed the court that they wanted to examine the statements of both the witnesses of the alleged nikah once on a same day.
The defence assured the court that it would not use delaying tactics and would complete its series of witnesses on Saturday even if the police failed to serve the court notice on Fayyaz.
Sub-Inspector Shabbir Kithran of the Jatoi police station was present in the court on Friday. It may be recalled the court had issued his bailable warrants for not coming to the court on Thursday. He was assigned the duty of serving court notice on Fayyaz Husain.
The court also issued bailable warrants of Jatoi’s local daily’s correspondent Mureed Abbas. He was summoned on Friday to testify non-compliance of the court notice issued to Fayyaz Husain.
The court adjourned proceedings of the case for Saturday.