Lawyers should show mercy on prisoners deserving acquittal: SC

ISLAMABAD: While expressing annoyance during the hearing of a murder case on Tuesday, the Supreme Court (SC) said that lawyers should show mercy on those prisoners who deserved acquittal. The court gave these remarks during the hearing of a case on absence of the counsel for an accused. While issuing show cause notice to counsel to explain his absence, the court remarked that the application of the counsel for adjournment of the hearing would not be accepted without solid reasons. It was the case of one, Muhammad Usman, who was accused of murdering a woman, Tasleem, in 2005.

Justice Dost Muhammad remarked that the trial courts of the Punjab were carrying death sentence in their pockets and awarded it without going through facts in the cases. He questioned to show any case in which the accused was released on the basis of doubt. He said this situation was extremely alarming. 

The court adjourned the hearing till the third week of October. The court on non-appearance of counsel in another case of an accused, Zohaib, remarked that changes would be made in the laws of bars if the counsels continued this practice.  Three member-bench, headed by Dost Muhammad, heard the hearing of the cases. Justice Dost Muhammad remarked that 500 prisoners were packed in place of 100 prisoners in jails of the country, including Punjab. Mercy should be shown to those prisoners who had a right of release and they should be released. He questioned why compromise was made on the release of prisoners. He remarked that the people used to come to courts from faraway places and here the counsel moved adjournment application in the case. He said this system would have to be put on track so that there would be no brake in the judicial works. He said adjournment would not be given to any counsel in the future on the basis of backache. The court in its order warned all the counsels that such adjournment would not be given in future on such applications. The court said that the lawyers would have to show responsibility in this regard.