Access to justice: role of public prosecutors vital: Khosa

Senior Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa has said that the role of public prosecutors in the access to justice in criminal cases is of great importance, therefore, they should discharge their professional duties with responsibilities so that justice could be upheld.
He expressed these views while addressing a seminar on the subject of "Quest for Justice" at Royal Palm Golf and Country Club. Former IG Punjab Rana Maqbool Ahmad, Chairman CCBLE, foreign women diplomats as well as lawyers and public prosecutors were also present on the occasion.
While addressing the seminar, Sardar Zulfiqar Ali Khan Khosa said that justice is denied due to negligence of public prosecutors in discharging their responsibilities. He disclosed that during British Rule, investigation and prosecution were the responsibilities of police but later after establishment of prosecution department, it was attached to the Home Department. However, the credit goes to Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, who, by giving administrative autonomy to the prosecution department, not only fulfilled the demands of justice but have also created new opportunities for the promotion of public prosecutors, he added. He advised public prosecutors to work with more devotion and dedication so that the demands of justice could be fulfilled.
He further said that provincial government has completed process of recruitment of public prosecutors through Punjab Public Service Commission by upholding the justice and merit. He said that the imprisonment awarded by the courts to the accused and terrorists not only shows the supremacy of law, but also conveys a message at the global level that Pakistan is a safe country. Therefore, public prosecutors should discharge their responsibilities with utmost care as it not only helps in constituting safe society but also gives a message to the people that they should take help of police and courts instead of taking the law into their hands. He said that it is endeavour of the government to raise the standard of the performance of public prosecution department at par with international standard; therefore, all resources are being utilised for this purpose. He said that the service structure of public prosecutors has also been improved.