LHC orders security to witnesses in Christian couple lynching case

LAHORE: Lahore High Court acting-Chief Justice Mamoon Rashid Sheikh has ordered Punjab Home Department and the inspector general of police to ensure protection to witnesses in the 2014 lynching case of a Christian couple in Kot Radha Kishan.

A directive issued by the director general of district judiciary directorate required the government to provide security to the witnesses in the light of the instructions of the Supreme Court. The witnesses in the case, including Shahbaz Masih and Iqbal Masih, had approached the high court with a complaint of non-provision of security by the police.

Justice Sheikh expressed dismay over the non-provision of security to the witnesses and ordered the government to ensure foolproof security to the witnesses as per the guidelines set by the apex court.

The case is pending before an anti-terrorism court of Lahore against dozens of suspects.

The court had already convicted several suspects while some of the accused were acquitted by the high court.

Shahzad Masih and his pregnant wife Shama were labours at a brick kiln of Yousaf Gujjar. An aggressive mob of over 400 people allegedly led by the kiln owner brutally killed the couple on charges of blasphemy.

The prosecution said a prayer leader had provoked the villagers against the couple. The mob mercilessly burnt the couple alive in the kiln.