Muhammad Abdullah V. The State,
PLD 2016 Balochistan 93 · Balochistan High Court
This case concerns Muhammad Abdullah, who was convicted by an Anti-Terrorism Court in Quetta and sentenced to life imprisonment under murder and terrorism charges, plus a separate three-year sentence under arms law. His appeals against these convictions were dismissed by the Balochistan High Court. He then approached the Supreme Court, which granted him leave to appeal (meaning it agreed to hear his case further). While that appeal was pending, he asked the High Court to suspend his sentences and release him on bail, arguing that since the Supreme Court had granted leave to appeal, he was entitled to this relief, especially since his case might take a long time to resolve.
The High Court rejected his request. It explained that under the law, getting leave to appeal from the Supreme Court is not enough by itself to suspend a sentence, the High Court still has discretion, and the applicant must show additional grounds, such as unreasonable delay or legal errors in the judgment. More importantly, the court ruled that the Anti-Terrorism Act contains a specific bar preventing bail during a pending appeal, and this special law overrides the general provision in the Criminal Procedure Code that might otherwise allow suspension of sentence. Since this bar applied fully to his case, his applications for bail were dismissed.
This ruling clarifies that convicts sentenced under anti-terrorism laws face stricter, non-negotiable restrictions on bail during appeals, even after the Supreme Court agrees to hear their case.
یہ مقدمہ محمد عبداللہ سے متعلق ہے، جسے انسدادِ دہشت گردی عدالت، کوئٹہ نے قتل اور دہشت گردی کے الزامات میں مجرم قرار دیتے ہوئے عمر قید کی سزا سنائی، جبکہ اسلحہ ایکٹ کے تحت الگ سے تین سال قید کی سزا بھی دی۔ اس کی ان سزاؤں کے خلاف اپیلیں بلوچستان ہائی کورٹ نے مسترد کر دیں۔ اس کے بعد اس نے سپریم کورٹ سے رجوع کیا، جس نے اسے اپیل کی اجازت دے دی، یعنی عدالت نے اس کے مقدمے کی مزید سماعت کرنے پر آمادگی ظاہر کی۔ جب یہ اپیل زیرِ التوا تھی، اس نے ہائی کورٹ سے درخواست کی کہ اس کی سزاؤں کو معطل کر کے اسے ضمانت پر رہا کیا جائے، اس دلیل کی بنیاد پر کہ چونکہ سپریم کورٹ نے اپیل کی اجازت دے دی ہے، اس لیے وہ اس رعایت کا حق دار ہے، خاص طور پر اس لیے کہ اس کے مقدمے کے فیصلے میں کافی وقت لگ سکتا ہے۔
ہائی کورٹ نے اس کی درخواست مسترد کر دی۔ عدالت نے وضاحت کی کہ قانون کے تحت سپریم کورٹ سے اپیل کی اجازت مل جان