Muhammad Saleem v. State,
PLD 2011 Quetta 40. · Balochistan High Court
This case concerns Muhammad Saleem, an Executive Engineer in Balochistan's C&W Department, who was accused of misappropriating Rs.30 million. He was tried before the Special Judge, Anti-Corruption, and convicted of criminal breach of trust, cheating, forgery, and corruption, receiving lengthy prison terms and heavy fines, including a fine of Rs.30 million recoverable from his property.
He appealed, but died while the appeal was pending. Normally a criminal appeal ends automatically when the accused dies. However, the Balochistan High Court explained that under Section 431 of the Criminal Procedure Code, an appeal against a fine does not abate on death because it affects the deceased's estate and property, not just his person. Since Saleem's fine was to be recovered from his property, and his conviction would also affect his pensionary benefits as a government employee, the appeal survived his death and had to be decided on merits.
On the merits, the court found that no witness had actually supported the misappropriation allegations, and official reports actually showed the funds were properly spent. The prosecutor had even asked the trial court to withdraw the case for lack of evidence, but the trial judge refused without giving any reasons. The High Court held this was illegal and that the evidence was insufficient. It therefore set aside the conviction and sentence.
The case matters because it clarifies when appeals survive an accused's death and stresses that courts must give reasoned decisions when prosecutors seek to withdraw weak cases.
یہ مقدمہ محمد سلیم سے متعلق ہے جو بلوچستان کے سی اینڈ ڈبلیو ڈیپارٹمنٹ میں ایگزیکٹو انجینئر تھے اور ان پر تین کروڑ روپے کی خرد برد کا الزام عائد کیا گیا تھا۔ ان کے خلاف اسپیشل جج انسداد بدعنوانی کی عدالت میں مقدمہ چلایا گیا جس میں انہیں مجرمانہ خیانت، دھوکہ دہی، جعل سازی اور بدعنوانی کا مرتکب قرار دیا گیا اور طویل قید کے ساتھ ساتھ بھاری جرمانے بھی عائد کیے گئے، جن میں تین کروڑ روپے کا جرمانہ بھی شامل تھا جو ان کی جائیداد سے وصول کیا جانا تھا۔
انہوں نے اس فیصلے کے خلاف اپیل دائر کی، لیکن اپیل زیرِ سماعت ہونے کے دوران ہی ان کا انتقال ہو گیا۔ عام طور پر ملزم کی وفات پر فوجداری اپیل خود بخود ختم ہو جاتی ہے۔ تاہم بلوچستان ہائی کورٹ نے واضح کیا کہ ضابطہ فوجداری کی دفعہ 431 کے تحت جرمانے کے خلاف اپیل ملزم کی وفات پر ختم نہیں ہوتی کیونکہ اس کا اثر مرح