The Supreme Court of Pakistan has directed the trial court to correct errors in the recorded testimonies in the murder case of Sanam Umrani, sister of petitioner Nayab Umrani, within two weeks of receiving the court’s order.
A bench headed by Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail heard the matter on Tuesday and expressed serious concern over the inaccurate recording of witness statements during the trial proceedings.
During the hearing, Justice Mandokhail questioned the manner in which evidence had been recorded, remarking, “Has the recording of testimony become a joke?” The observation came amid allegations that significant errors had been made in documenting witness statements and cross-examinations.
Counsel for the accused informed the court that the High Court had earlier directed the issuance of a memorandum regarding the matter and clarified that his clients had no objection to the High Court’s order. In response, Justice Mandokhail observed that the accurate recording of testimony is a judicial responsibility and that any mistake brought to the court’s notice can and should be rectified.
The petitioner’s counsel argued that even the date of the incident had been incorrectly recorded in the case file and that the record failed to accurately reflect the complete cross-examination of witnesses. Justice Mandokhail acknowledged the significance of dates in criminal proceedings but advised counsel to focus on identifying specific errors in the recorded testimony.
The bench noted that the matter could have been resolved at a lower level had the concerned court corrected the record on its own. Justice Mandokhail observed that the issue would not have reached the Supreme Court if the trial court had taken timely steps to rectify the mistakes.
Referring to the constitutional powers of the apex court, Justice Mandokhail stated that the Supreme Court possesses complete authority under Article 187 of the Constitution to ensure that justice is done.
The court also made strong observations regarding the alleged mishandling of the record. Justice Mandokhail remarked that only God knows the intentions of the presiding judge and cautioned against taking the matter to a point where allegations of dishonesty would have to be formally addressed.
He further stated that, if necessary, the Supreme Court could direct the relevant High Court to conduct an inquiry into the matter. However, the court decided that, at this stage, its focus would remain on ensuring the correction of the trial record rather than initiating investigative proceedings.
Concluding the hearing, the Supreme Court ordered the trial court to review and correct all identified errors in the recorded testimonies in the Sanam Umrani murder case within two weeks, emphasizing the importance of maintaining accurate judicial records to safeguard the fairness and integrity of criminal proceedings.