{
  "id": 15350083,
  "title": "Sindh govt to amend witness protection law 13 years after enactment, Sindh High Court told",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/sindh-govt-to-amend-witness-protection-law-13-years-after-enactment",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-18T04:02:01.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dawn - Pakistan",
    "slug": "dawn-pakistan",
    "url": "https://www.dawn.com/news/2037940/sindh-govt-to-amend-witness-protection-law-13-years-after-enactment-sindh-high-court-told"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Karachi: Following a 13-year wait, the Sindh government is set to amend its witness protection law to align with international best practices. This development was disclosed before the Sindh High Court, which was hearing a petition filed in 2023 regarding the non-framing of rules to implement the Sindh Witness Protection Act, 2013. The petitioner, Tariq Mansoor Advocate, argued that the law, enacted in 2013, aimed to protect witnesses in criminal cases, but there had been no substantial efforts to enforce it, such as forming the rules necessary for its implementation. The High Court, currently a two-judge constitutional bench led by Justice Yousuf Ali Sayeed, stated that the government's power to make rules under Section 29 of the Act, which allows for carrying out its purposes, needed to be considered. Respondents in the case, Inspector General of Sindh Police and Prosecutor General of Sindh, were summoned to the hearing. The petition highlighted the lack of funds released for setting up a witness protection unit and the absence of proper enforcement of the law. The bench adjourned the hearing until November 12, instructing the petitioner to prepare for discussing whether the government is obligated to frame rules and whether any provisions of the Act are currently rendered ineffective without them.",
  "summary": "KARACHI:Around 13 years after its enactment, the Sindh government is going to amend its witness protection law in line with “best international practices”. The information was submitted before the Sindh High Court, which was hearing a petition regarding the non-framing of rules to implement the Sindh Witness Protection Act, 2013. The petition was filed in 2023 seeking proper implementation of the…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 3,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Hindu",
        "title": "Madras High Court directs Erode court to consider bail pleas of nine in SC/ST Act case",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/madras-high-court-directs-erode-court-to-consider-bail-pleas-of-nine",
        "published": "2026-10-18T05:14:36.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "NDTV - India News",
        "title": "Chief Justice To Inaugurate Permanent High Court Bench In Leh Today",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/18/chief-justice-to-inaugurate-permanent-high-court-bench-in-leh-today",
        "published": "2026-10-18T06:12:10.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}