Muhammad Ishaque V. The State,
PCrLJ 2013 1284 · Balochistan High Court
This case is about a bail application filed by Muhammad Ishaque, who was accused of murder along with several others under Pakistan's Penal Code provisions on qatl-e-amd (intentional killing) with common intention. The murder allegedly happened in 1998, and while two co-accused were arrested and tried soon after (eventually being acquitted in 2001), Ishaque remained a fugitive for about 15 years before being caught in 2013.
The Balochistan High Court refused to grant him bail. The judge reasoned that his 15-year absence from the law was deliberate, not accidental, especially since he was closely related to the two co-accused who had faced trial—making his claim of not knowing about the case against him unbelievable. The court also noted that the case was reported promptly and his name appeared in the original police report (FIR).
The court rejected his argument that he should get bail because the evidence used to acquit his co-accused also showed no case against him. The judge held that using that evidence for his bail would essentially decide his case before his own trial even began. The court also ruled that old age and physical weakness are not valid grounds for bail on their own.
This case matters because it reinforces the principle that fleeing from justice for a long time weakens a person's right to bail, and that evidence from a co-accused's trial cannot be used to pre-judge an absconder's case before he stands trial.
یہ مقدمہ محمد اسحاق کی ضمانت کی درخواست سے متعلق ہے، جس پر دیگر کئی افراد کے ساتھ مل کر مشترکہ نیت سے قتل عمد کے تحت پاکستان کے تعزیرات کے قانون کی دفعات کے تحت قتل کا الزام تھا۔ یہ قتل مبینہ طور پر 1998 میں ہوا تھا، اور جہاں دو ساتھی ملزمان کو فوری طور پر گرفتار کر کے ان کا مقدمہ چلایا گیا تھا (جو بالآخر 2001 میں بے قصور قرار پائے)، اسحاق تقریباً پندرہ سال تک مفرور رہا اور 2013 میں پکڑا گیا۔
بلوچستان ہائی کورٹ نے اسے ضمانت دینے سے انکار کر دیا۔ جج کا استدلال یہ تھا کہ قانون سے اس کی پندرہ سالہ غیر موجودگی جانستہ تھی، حادثاتی نہیں، خاص طور پر اس لیے کہ وہ ان دو ساتھی ملزمان کا قریبی رشتہ دار تھا جن کا مقدمہ چلایا گیا تھا—جس سے اس کا یہ دعویٰ کہ اسے اپنے خلاف مقدمے کا علم ہی نہیں تھا، ناقابل یقین ٹھہرتا ہے۔ عدالت نے یہ بھی نوٹ کیا کہ مقدمہ فوری طور پر درج کیا گیا تھا اور اس کا نام ابتدائی پولیس رپ