The top court on Monday referred the case of two fake witnesses in a murder case, Maqsood Hussain and Zafar Abbas, to sessions court Sargodha.
A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa heard the case and ordered district police officer (DPO) Sargodha to investigate the misconduct of investigation officer and take action.
In pursuance of the court order, Maqsood Hussain and Zafar Abbas appeared before the court. The Supreme Court on October 23, 2019 suspended High Court verdict and acquitted Zulfiqar Hussain Shah. The court had ordered the district police officer Sargodha to appear before the court on October 28 with both false witnesses.
The court noted that they had rendered false evidence while they were not the eyewitnesses. The Chief Justice asked them, "You have given false evidence on oath. False evidence is the biggest sin."
The Supreme Court in March this year declared that the rule falsus in uno, falsus in omnibus (false in one thing, false in everything) shall be an integral part of Pakistani jurisprudence in criminal cases and the same shall be given effect to, followed and applied by all the courts in the country in its letter and spirit.
Maqsood Hussain told that he is an eyewitness to the murder of his brother Iqrar. He said if he had given false evidence then Allah would punish him.
The Chief Justice said that investigation officer asked the complainant to bring witnesses, who could give false evidence. If the IO had not asked the complainant to produce false witnesses then they would have not done so.
The court asked both the accused to defend their cases at the sessions court Sargodha.
During the course of proceedings, the Chief Justice observed that the witnesses misled the court as both witnesses were not present on the spot. The witnesses were presented after creating a false story, he added. He said that the false witnesses had corrupted the justice system.
According to law, there was a life imprisonment for a false witness in a murder case, he added. He remarked that the court would not spare false witnesses.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2019