Muhammad alias Khuda Bakhsh V. ATC Makran At Turbat and 2 others,
PLJ 2018 Quetta 39 · Balochistan High Court
This case concerned a prisoner named Muhammad alias Khuda Bakhsh who had been convicted of kidnapping for ransom and related offences, with his conviction upheld all the way to the Supreme Court, though he was given credit for time already served under section 382-B of the Criminal Procedure Code. Because his case fell under the Anti-Terrorism Act, jail authorities refused to grant him the special remissions (sentence reductions) that the federal and provincial governments periodically announce for prisoners, citing section 21-F of the Anti-Terrorism Act, which bars such remissions for terrorism convicts.
The petitioner challenged this refusal before the Balochistan High Court, arguing that all prisoners are equal under the Constitution and should be treated alike once convicted, regardless of which law they were tried under. The State argued the special bar under the Anti-Terrorism Act applied and he could not claim remissions at this late stage.
The High Court ruled in favour of the petitioner. It held that while the trial process and punishments under special laws like the Anti-Terrorism Act can differ, once someone is convicted, they must be treated under the Pakistan Prison Rules like any other prisoner. Denying remissions specifically to Anti-Terrorism Act convicts was found discriminatory and violated Article 25 (equality before law) and Article 9 (protection of liberty) of the Constitution. The court declared section 21-F of the Anti-Terrorism Act unconstitutional to that extent and allowed the petition, meaning the pet
یہ مقدمہ محمد عرف خدا بخش نامی ایک قیدی سے متعلق تھا جسے تاوان کے لیے اغوا اور دیگر متعلقہ جرائم میں سزا سنائی گئی تھی، اور اس کی سزا سپریم کورٹ تک برقرار رہی تھی، البتہ اسے ضابطہ فوجداری کی دفعہ 382-B کے تحت پہلے سے گزاری گئی قید کا کریڈٹ دیا گیا تھا۔ چونکہ اس کا مقدمہ انسدادِ دہشت گردی ایکٹ کے تحت آتا تھا، اس لیے جیل حکام نے اسے وہ خصوصی رعایتیں (سزا میں کمی) دینے سے انکار کر دیا جو وفاقی اور صوبائی حکومتیں وقتاً فوقتاً قیدیوں کے لیے اعلان کرتی ہیں، اور اس انکار کی بنیاد انسدادِ دہشت گردی ایکٹ کی دفعہ 21-F کو بنایا گیا، جو دہشت گردی کے مجرموں کے لیے ایسی رعایتوں کو ممنوع قرار دیتی ہے۔
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