The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday acquitted a man convicted in a drug smuggling case, citing insufficient evidence and lack of credible proof.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Farooq Haider and Justice Ali Zia Bajwa announced the verdict while hearing the appeal of Shahid Imran, who had been sentenced to nine years in prison and fined Rs100,000 by a Mandi Bahauddin sessions court. The appellant’s counsel claimed that his client was falsely implicated. He argued that while drug samples were sent to the forensic laboratory, the narcotics presented before the trial court did not contain any separately sealed portion corresponding to the tested samples.
After reviewing the evidence, the bench observed that the prosecution had failed to establish the charges and that no reliable testimony supported the conviction. The bench ordered Imran’s immediate release, provided he is not wanted in any other case. Civil Lines Police, Mandi Bahauddin, arrested Shahid Imran on January 9, 2023, for allegedly possessing five kilograms of charas. The trial court later convicted him on January 18, 2024. app