High Court gives alleged mega-smuggler another chance by setting aside lower court verdict

PESHAWAR – The Peshawar High Court ordered a trial court to rehear the case involving the smuggling of 958 kilograms of hashish. The court also nullified a life imprisonment sentence and fine imposed on the accused.

A division bench, comprising Justices Yahya Afridi and Waqar Ahmad Seth, heard the case on Friday. The bench ordered the release of the applicants on bail.

Earlier, the applicants’ counsels – barristers Noman Qaiser and Waqas Chamkani – said their clients, Irfan and Muntazir, were charged with smuggling narcotics.

The attorneys said Customs officials had arrested the two suspects after claiming to have seized 958 kilogram hashish from a truck. The accused were awarded a life sentence and were fined by a trial court.

The lawyers, however, argued that technical factors were not taken into consideration during proceedings at the trial court, saying, “If the customs officials seized 958 kilogram’s, why were only 10 gram sent to the laboratory?” Qaiser asked.

He said that under the law, officials should have sent a 10-gram sample from every packet.