SHC sets aside conviction of MQM activist in illegal weapon case

The Sindh High Court on Wednesday set aside the conviction of a Muttahida Qaumi Movement activist in a case pertaining to illegal weapons and explosive material.

Headed by Justice Zafar Ahmed Rajput, the apex court’s division bench ordered the release of Abdul Faheem, who was sentenced to 14 years imprisonment by an anti-terrorism court in February 2016, if his custody was not required in any other case.  

The appellant, who was a Karachi Water and Sewerage Board employee, had moved the SHC against the trial court’s judgment and his counsel, Mehmood Alam Rizvi, had submitted that Faheem was falsely implicated in the case.

The counsel submitted that his client “was already in the illegal detention of law enforcers” when they registered fake cases against him.

According to the prosecution, police and law enforcement agencies, Faheem was arrested on November 14, 2015 in Malir area and illicit arms and a grenade were found on him.

After hearing arguments from both the sides, the court set aside the trial court’s verdict and ordered the appellant’s release.

Shifting of convict

The SHC issued notices to the home department, and prison superintendents of the Sukkur and Karachi jails against shifting of a convict from Karachi to Sukkur prison. The court was told that the plea of Abid Baloch, who was convicted in killing of a bar association leader and his son, was still pending in a court in Karachi, but jail authorities had transferred him to the Sukkur prison without the permission of the court.

The applicant’s counsel requested the court to order shifting of Bloch to the Karachi prison. He said another co-accused Mohsin was also incarcerated in the Karachi jail.