Greece Boat Tragedy: Complainant Refuses to Identify Main Accused, Chief Justice Furious

LAHORE: A dramatic turn of events unfolded in the Lahore High Court during the bail hearing of Saqib Jajja, the main accused in the Greece boat tragedy case, when the complainant refused to identify him as the perpetrator.
During the hearing of Saqib Jajja’s interim bail application, his lawyer informed the court that the complainants had stated “this is not our accused” and requested that the interim bail be confirmed. Chief Justice Aalia Neelum expressed severe displeasure at the complainants’ stance, remarking that they were “trying to save an oppressor.”
The Chief Justice questioned whether human life had any value, adding that the media criticizes institutions for not functioning properly, yet the complainants themselves had filed the case and were now claiming the accused was not their man.
When complainant Jameel offered to swear on the Quran, Chief Justice Aalia Neelum responded that the Quran was too sacred and they could not bear its burden, urging him not to attempt to save an oppressor. She stated that those claiming to be simple people were not simple at all, and accused them of not telling the truth in court.
The Chief Justice remarked that the country would not improve this way and everyone must come forward. She ordered all complainants to appear in the Special Central Court at 12 noon the next day.
During the proceedings, the Chief Justice inquired whether their children had survived the incident. The federal government’s lawyer confirmed that the children of three complainants had survived the Greece boat tragedy. The Chief Justice observed that they were fortunate their children had survived.
The court ordered verification of all complainants’ statements and forensic examination of their fingerprints. If it was proven that the complainants had indeed filed the application, action would be taken against them for giving false statements.
Subsequently, the court extended the accused’s interim bail until February 12.