KARACHI – The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Friday said it was not nearly high enough after it rejected a petition seeking to legalise the possession and consumption of up to 10 grams of cannabis.
The court expressed its severe displeasure and reprimanded the petitioner, Ghulam Asghar Sain, on bringing such a petition before the judge.
“We are not high enough for this kind of petition. You want everyone to start smoking cannabis? You need to go somewhere really really high,” Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar said.
The petitioner prayed that he was a poor man and has put forth the petition in the larger public interest. At this Justice Mazhar replied that the only possible way out then was for the petitioner to make the SHC bench higher, or go for a joint petition.
“You’re talking about the fine being abolished for possession of 10 grams of cannabis. But this current situation that we have going on between use would require multiple time that mass to get the joint petition going,” said Justice Mazhar.
“If you want to smoke cannabis then do it in the countries where it is legal. If that’s not possible for you than do it in this court which might, against the odds, make it legal, perhaps temporarily, maybe just within its own jurisdiction, encompassing this room, especially if it’s some good quality stash,” the court further ruled.
At press time, Ghulam Asghar Sain told The Dependent that he had moved the joint petition to a higher court.
