KARACHI: The Sindh High Court has observed that the menace of drugs was increasing day-by-day and it has become a great threat to a peaceful society as well as affecting many lives especially of youngsters.
Therefore, the SHC said, immediate steps were required to be taken to curb these nefarious activities as the proceeds of narcotics were largely utilised in anti-state / terrorist activities, which the country had been facing since decades.
A two-judge bench comprising Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput and Justice Miran Muhammad Shah made these observations while dismissing an appeal filed against conviction order of a trial court in a drug peddling case.
A special court for control of narcotic substances had sentenced Abdul Hameed to life imprisonment in May 2023 for transporting 48 kilograms of hashish in a double-cabin vehicle via Hub River Road in January 2020.
The convict through his counsel filed an appeal against the conviction order before the SHC and after hearing both sides and examining the record and proceedings, the bench turned down the appeal to uphold the life term.
Proceeds from narcotics trade are largely utilised in terrorist, anti-state activities, bench observes
The bench has in its judgement observed that the prosecution has proved its case against the appellant beyond any reasonable doubt by producing trustworthy and confidence-inspiring evidence in the shape of ocular and documentary proofs corroborated by the report of chemical examiner.
It has also noted that the sample drawn from the recovered hashish was sent to chemical examiner very next day and no question challenging safe custody of recovered contraband and safe transmission has been put to prosecution witnesses by the defence counsel.
The SHC further said that all four prosecution witnesses were put at lengthy cross-examination by the defence but they remained firm to their depositions and nothing came out to suggest that the appellant was falsely implicated by them or they have any animosity with him.
It is also transpired from the evidence available that no procedural infirmity was committed by officials of the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) while recovering such a huge quantity of hashish while timely recovery was made at the pointation of the appellant from the vehicle and weighing of quantity was made on the spot, it added.
The bench also said that all the prosecution witnesses were ANF officials, but their evidence being confidence-inspiring was liable to be accepted as the apex court had held that police officials were equally good witnesses and could be relied if their testimonies remained unshattered during cross examination.
It further noted that the defence plea taken by appellant that he was picked up when he was on the way from Quetta to Karachi, but no further evidence or elaborated facts had been narrated by defence counsel while cross-examining the investigating officer, nor was any proof of such movement produced by appellant.
The judgement said: “It may be observed that the menace of drugs is increasing day by day due to various reasons, which is a great threat to a peaceful society and is affecting many lives especially the youngsters, therefore, immediate steps are required to be taken to curb these nefarious activities.
“The proceeds of narcotics are largely utilized in anti-state /terrorist activities, which this country is facing since decades. When the prosecution is able to prove its case on its salient features then unnecessary technicalities should not be allowed to hamper the very purpose of the law on the subject”, it added.
The bench also observed that the impugned judgment of trial court did not suffer from any illegality or infirmity calling for interference of the SHC in its appellate jurisdiction.
Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2025.