Police officers walk past the Supreme Court of Pakistan building, in Islamabad, Pakistan April 6, 2022. REUTERS
ISLAMABAD:
For the first time in almost six years, the Supreme Court has begun to hold hearings of criminal appeals involving convicts who have already served their sentences or died while the proceedings are underway.
According to details obtained by The Express PK Press Club, at least five such cases have been reported from three jails in Punjab, including Central Jail Lahore, Central Jail Multan and Central Jail Sahiwal, where the appellants are released after completing their sentence or are no longer alive.
In these cases, four convicts have already been released after serving their sentences, while one died.
On Monday, a two-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb is expected to hear 25 cases.
Among them is a notable criminal appeal listed under serial number 18, titled Abdul Hakeem Shahid v. State.
In this case, the Superintendent of Sahiwal Central Prison submitted a report to the Criminal Branch of the Supreme Court stating that Abdul Hakeem Shahid, son of Abdul Ghafoor and a resident of Ferozewala, Sheikhupura, was transferred from Lahore Central Prison to Sahiwal Prison on August 28, 2025 on administrative grounds under the orders of the Inspector General of Prisons.
The report further said that the trial court on June 15, 2016, sentenced him to death and a fine of Rs 500,000 in a murder case. On February 3, 2019, the Lahore High Court converted the death sentence into life imprisonment under Section 382-B, giving the benefit of doubt.
The convict had already been released on December 19, 2025 after serving his sentence, having obtained a reduction of 13 years, 3 months and 13 days.
Interestingly, according to the Supreme Court’s online record, the appeal was filed on February 25, 2020, more than six years ago, and is being scheduled for hearing for the first time.
The second case, listed under serial number 20, is Mohsin Ali v. State, filed on March 20, 2021. Its first hearing is also scheduled for today.
A report submitted by Acting Superintendent of Central Jail Sahiwal states that Mohsin Ali, son of Kamir of Kharal caste and resident of Okara, was jailed on May 25, 2006.
He was sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment and fined Rs50,000 in a murder case and was released on August 29, 2022 after receiving a remission of 8 years, 9 months and 11 days.
The third case, Shakeel Ahmed v. The State, listed under serial number 21, was filed on May 11, 2022 and is also being resumed for the first time.
According to the Superintendent of Multan Central Jail, the murder FIR against the convict was registered in Multan on November 7, 2012. He was sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment with a fine of Rs 200,000 and got a remission of sentence of 11 years, 7 months and 26 days.
He was arrested on November 16, 2012 and was already released on March 20, 2026 after serving 13 years and 4 months.
The fourth case is Allah Ditta v State, the appeal of which was filed on June 18, 2022 and is also being heard for the first time.
