Close liaison between IO and the Prosecutors indispensable for justice:Rana Maqbool

Lahore: Special Assistant to Chief Minister Punjab and former Inspector General Police, Rana Maqbool Ahmad has said that Punjab Prosecution department’s success rate for the current calendar year is 91%. Out of total 58336 contested cases, 53080 were won by prosecution department and accused faced the music. Only 5256 cases were acquitted on merit whereas 29723 uncontested cases were acquitted due to resiling of witness. 20069 uncontested cases were acquitted due to compromise between the parties.

Rana Maqbool Ahmad said this while presiding over a high level meeting of prosecution department, here in Civil Secretariat today. Secretary Prosecution Nadeem Irshad Kiani, DIG welfare Ghulam Rasool Zahid, Additional Secretary Prosecution Maqbool Nigar and more than 30 district and additional public prosecutors attended the meeting. It was told in the meeting that in first 11 months of 2013, 513 accused were give death sentence, 377 accused were sentenced to life imprisonment and 683 accused were given imprisonment above 7 years.

It was told in the meeting that the performance of prosecution department is evaluated by counting the number of contested cases in courts that are resultant as well. The cases disposed off on compromise, resiling of witness and consigned to record cannot be linked with the contested cases and prosecutors performance.

While addressing the meeting, Rana Maqbool Ahmad, Special Assistant to Chief Minister Punjab for Prosecution stressed for close liaison between the Police Investigation Officers and the Public Prosecutors to dispense speedy justice to the oppressed persons as it was a great mission and worship to provide justice to the effected persons. He directed the Public Prosecutors to remain associated with the Police from the day one and visit the crime scene to collect the solid evidence to prepare the prosecution cases.

He informed that under the vision of Punjab Chief Minister, Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, the prosecution department will be developed on scientific lines and daily feed-backs regarding figure of the cases and their results should be obtained to ensure speedy justice. He said that no innocent person should be challaned and the proven accused should not be spared at all.