Supreme Court stunned as life-term convict released after eight years

The Supreme Court was stunned on being informed that a convict sentenced for life imprisonment had been released after spending only eight years in prison, reported 24NewsHD TV channel on Tuesday.

According to details, the matter was brought up before the court at its Karachi Registry as Habib Ahmed – the counsel of ANF (Anti-Narcotics Force) – informed a bench headed by Justice Qazi Amin about the episode.

Sharing the details, Habib said Sheikh Riaz had been sentenced in 2012 after 1.745 kilogrammes of charas was found in his container 14 years back in 1998.

According to the ANF’s legal representative, the convict enjoyed remission and pardon for a total of 13 times, including the ones announced by the president and also those under the jail rules.

Ordering the Sessions Judge Karachi East to verify the remissions and pardons applied to the convict and submit a report within five weeks.

Describing it a big question mark on the country’s criminal justice system, Justice Amin remarked, “You are deceiving the state if you are releasing a convict facing the life term after eight years.”

Justice Amin was hearing the appeal filed by Sheikh against the Sindh High Court’s 2018 decision to uphold the lower court’s judgment.