جب بھی ٹرائل کورٹ میں کوئی فریق کسی بھی گواہ کو court witness کے طور پر بلانے کے غرض سے ٹرائل کورٹ میں سکیشن 540 Crpc کے تحت درخواست دے تو عدالت صرف اس وجہ سے درخواست خارج نہ کرسکتی ہے کہ یہ belated stage پر دی گئی ہے ، بلکہ کورٹ نے یہ دیکھنا ہے کہ وہ گواہ Just decision of case کے لیے کتنا ضروری ہے اور اس۔چیز کو دیکھتے ہوئے درخواست کا فیصلہ کرنا ہوتا ہے۔۔۔۔

 The production and examination of witnesses has also been explained by various provisions contained in Chapter X of the Qanune-Shahadat Order, 1984. This provision in unequivocal terms prescribes the mode and manner of examination of witnesses. The prosecution witnesses or any party calling and examining the witnesses is called, 'examination-in-chief' while examination of the same witnesses by the opposite party is called, 'cross-examination'. Subsequent examination of the same witnesses by the party calling it, is called 're-examination'. There is no denial to the fact that the solitary purpose of any trial is the discovery of the truth and to arrive at a correct conclusion and to see that no innocent person is punished. Section 540, Cr.P.C. deals with power of the court qua summoning of witnesses.

A close reading of afore-mentioned provision indicates that it gives rather wide powers to the Court to examine any witness as a court witness at any stage of the case. The section consists of two parts: one giving discretionary power to the Court and the other imposing an obligation on it.

The Court cannot summarily dismiss an application in terms of section 540 Cr.P.C. by merely holding that either that it was belated application or that it may fill up lacuna the to e in prosecution case, unless tality of material placed before it is considered to find out whether examination of the said witness is essential for a just decision of the case.

Criminal Appeal No. 297 of 2022
(The State Vs. Ahmed Yar)
07-06-2022