ISLAMABAD: A man found to give false testimony before a trial court in a murder case, was produced before the Supreme Court under perjury charges, ARY News reported on Wednesday.
Muhammad Arshad, a Sahiwal resident, who was found to give allegedly false statement in murder case of ASI Police Mazhar Hussain, was produced before a bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Asif Saeed Khosa.
Chief Justice Khosa remarked that under the law, perjury in death penalty cases is punishable with life imprisonment.
The top judge addressing accused Arshad said, “You are a national volunteer so also become a witness voluntarily!!!.” “Why your medical test conducted after three days of the incident?”
“I had to suffer a knife blow, and it was removed after three days,” the accused replied.
“Don’t use your tongue in excess,” the chief justice said. “He says he received a knife wound, the medical report calls it a wound of sharp-edged instrument”.
“Other witnesses said it was dark, you are saying you saw the accused in a torchlight,” Chief Justice Khosa remarked.
“If someone had condemned to death on your false testimony,” the court asked. You are a national volunteer and also became a witness voluntarily!!!,” Justice Khosa remarked.
He would have accompanied with the policeman in some matter. The policeman killed and he gave false testimony to save the honour of police, the chief justice further said.
“What could the court do on the matter,” the chief justice asked from the prosecutor general of Punjab present in the case.
“The trial court will conduct an inquiry over the request of the state,” the government prosecutor said. His witness account and medical report will be scrutinized, the prosecutor added.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan had summoned Muhammad Arshad over alleged false testimony in a murder case, and acquitted the accused after seven years of imprisonment.
The court remarked that Arshad gave false account of the event before the trial court and questioned why the court should not initiate perjury proceedings against the false witness?
The Chief Justice said, ” We are initiating the action against false witnesses with this volunteer.”
The court had acquitted the accused of murder giving him benefit of doubt.
