23 and juvenile

This refers to the letters, ‘The Shafqat case‘ (March 30) by Yasir Kayani and ‘Right to justice‘ (March 31), by Shafique Kandhro. Both the writers have tried to point out flaws in the case against Shafqat. This should have been done at the trial and appeal stages of the case, which dragged on for years, and not now when the case has been conclusively decided by the highest court in the land. It is like shutting the barn door after the horse has bolted.
As for the argument that “the defence counsel provided by the state never raised the question of Shafqat‘s age”, there must have been some reason why it was not raised. Could it be that he was really an adult at the time of the offence and not a 14-year-old? The FIA has now determined that Shafqat was 23 years old at the time of the offence. And a 23-year-old cannot be tried as a juvenile. So let the law take its course.
Farid Nawaz
Islamabad