Punjab wants faceless secret trials for terrorism cases
Picture a death sentence with nobody’s name on it. The prosecutor is anonymous. The witnesses are just listed as numbers. The man sitting beside you might be your lawyer, he might not, but you’re not allowed to ask. The file on your case is locked away. Your appeal takes place in the same kafkaesque obscurity. Now imagine that this is how the courts will work after the Punjab Assembly passes this…
The Punjab government is seeking to introduce a controversial bill that would allow for secret trials in terrorism cases. The proposed changes to the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, would mean that the identities of judges, prosecutors, defense lawyers, and witnesses would remain anonymous. The bill states that a designated authority, appointed by the government, would have the power to declare a case as a "special security case" and proceed with a confidential trial.
This designated authority's identity would only be known to the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court. The proposed changes have been met with opposition, as critics argue that it violates the constitution's guarantee of fair and open trials.
Written by urgent.news from Dawn's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
