A conference ‘Significance of Independent Prosecution Service’ in the province of the Punjab was held on Thursday, February 27, 2014, at Avari Hotel, Lahore, as part of GIZ-CRSS-PPD advocacy campaign for the Support to the Punjab Prosecution Service (SPPS) project.
Special Assistant to Punjab Chief Minister on Prosecution Rana Maqbool, Secretary Prosecution Nadeem Irshad Kiyani, Senior Journalist Mujeebur Rehman Shami, Dean Pakistan Law College Humayun Ehsan, District and Sessions Judge, Lahore, Hamid Shah and CRSS Executive Director Imtiaz Gul spoke on the importance of an independently-working prosecution service in criminal justice system.
The conference was attended by the GIZ representatives, prosecutors, lawyers, law students, civil society representatives and journalists. The Secretary Prosecution gave an overview of the Prosecution Department and its achievements since its creation in 2006. Humayun Ehsan gave a critical academic assessment of the prosecution service while pointing out weaknesses in the system and suggesting radical reforms for the benefit of the people. Mujeebur Rehman Shami spoke on the role of media and stressed the need for improving the system by building the capacity of the prosecutors. Hamid Shah shared his experience as a judge and spoke on the role of a prosecutor in the criminal justice system. Rana Maqbool informed the participants about the provincial government efforts to build an independent prosecution service.