The Lahore High Court on Friday directed district & sessions judge Layyah to initiate action against Muhammad Sharif for giving false testimony in a gang rape case. The court was hearing appeal of a prime convict in the gang rape case when it transpired that testimony of one of the prosecution witnesses Muhammad Sharif had been found untrue.
The court observed that the people guilty of giving false witnesses in courts do not deserve any leniency. The court therefore, directed the sessions judge of Layyah to initiate action against the prosecution witness under perjury charges and submit a compliance report. A trial court of Layyah had handed down 25-year imprisonment to Mudassir Manzoor and other suspects.
The appellant had pleaded that the trial court announced the guilty verdict contrary to the facts of case and on the basis of false testimonies presented by the complainant. He stated that the trial court acquitted other suspects but convicted him without any cogent evidence against him.
Hearing a murder appeal during February last, Chief Justice of Pakistan Asif Saeed Khan Khosa had taken exception to false statements in the courts. He had observed that the false witnesses will soon be behind the bars and the entire system will be back on right track as soon as a couple of perjurers were sent to jail for life. The chief justice had also stated that the judges handing down sentences on the basis of false testimonies should also be held accountable.
