Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJ) Justice Asif Saeed Khosa on Monday disposed of the appeals of various criminal cases and announced that pleas for adjournment of hearings would not be approved in criminal cases. The apex court would resume the hearings on the appeals of criminal cases, slated for Tuesday, Justice Khosa stated. At Karachi Registry, a three-member bench of Supreme Court (SC) headed by CJP Justice Asif Saeed Khosa also turned down the plea of putting off the adjournment of hearing of a case due to absence of the lawyer. The court will hear the appeals of criminal cases on Tuesday and would dispose of them on the same day, the CJP stated.

In a murder case appeal, the bench ordered to release the convict Mansoor, who challenged his conviction from trial court, which awarded him life imprisonment in a murder case in 2008 in Landhi Area of metropolis, which high court also upheld. After conviction from the trial court, the convict spent ten years in the jail, which the SC converted the period into his imprisonment and ordered his release. The CJP remarked that there should be correct interpretation between the murder by mistake and accidental death.

An accidental death can't be labeled as a murder by mistake, the CJP said and maintained that there is no conviction for accidental murder under sub-section 80 of Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

The CJP said that convict Mansoor completed his lift-term imprisonment if we consider his case in murder by mistake when the incident happened at farmhouse in Landhi area.

The SC also ordered the authorities concerned to release Riaz Chandio, who was convicted from Sindh High Court for murdering Abdul Haleem, a resident of Dadu district of province.

The high court awarded 25-year imprisonment to Chandio for murdering Junejo in 2007. The SC's bench declaring the judgment of high court void ordered to release Chandio, if he is not facing any other charges.

The SC bench also turned down the appeal of Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) against acquittal of Ali Nawaz in recovery of drug case.

A trial court convicted Ali Nawaz to serve four years imprisonment for possessing 1100 grams hashish. The Sindh High Court, however, turned down the conviction by ordering to release him.

The ANF filed the appeal against the decision of the high court in the SC, which upheld the decision of the high court by observing that the witnesses' statements are not enough to convict the accused.

The SC's bench also ordered to release three accused in kidnapping-for-ransom case after the CJP said prosecution failed to produce solid evidence against the three.

The court ordered the authorities concerned to release Yousaf Bugti, Hakim Khoso and Shaukat Brohi, who were convicted by trial court and high court in kidnapping-for-ransom case.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019