SC takes up hearing stale criminal appeals

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has started listing for hearing a set of long-pending criminal appeals involving convicts who, according to prison reports, have either already completed their sentences and been released or died while their cases remained pending.

This is the first time in nearly six years that such criminal appeals have been fixed for hearing. At least five cases have emerged from three Punjab prisons — Central Jail Lahore, Central Jail Multan and Central Jail Sahiwal — in which the appellants are either no longer in custody after serving their terms or are no longer alive. In these matters, four convicts have been released after completing their sentences, while one has died.

On Monday, a two-member bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb is scheduled to hear 25 cases. Among them is criminal appeal Abdul Hakeem Shahid versus The State, listed at serial number 18.

Cases listed before the bench

In the Abdul Hakeem Shahid case, the superintendent of Central Jail Sahiwal informed the Supreme Court’s criminal branch that the convict, son of Abdul Ghafoor and a resident of Ferozewala, Sheikhupura, had been shifted from Central Jail Lahore to Sahiwal Jail on August 28, 2025 on administrative grounds under the orders of the inspector general of prisons. The trial court had sentenced him to death on June 15, 2016 in a murder case and also imposed a fine of Rs500,000.

On February 3, 2019, the Lahore High Court converted the death sentence into life imprisonment under Section 382-B, while extending the benefit of doubt. According to the jail report, he was released on December 19, 2025 after completing his sentence, having received remission of 13 years, 3 months and 13 days. The Supreme Court’s online record shows that the appeal was filed on February 25, 2020 and is now being fixed for hearing for the first time more than six years later.

Another matter listed for hearing is Mohsin Ali versus The State at serial number 20. The appeal was filed on March 20, 2021 and is also scheduled for its first hearing. A report submitted by the acting superintendent of Central Jail Sahiwal said Mohsin Ali, son of Kamir and a resident of Okara, was brought to jail on May 25, 2006. He had been sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment and fined Rs50,000 in a murder case. He was released on August 29, 2022 after receiving remission of 8 years, 9 months and 11 days.

The third case, Shakeel Ahmed versus The State, is listed at serial number 21. Filed on May 11, 2022, it too is being taken up for the first time. According to the superintendent of Central Jail Multan, the murder FIR against the convict was registered in Multan on November 7, 2012. He was later sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment with a fine of Rs200,000 and granted remission of 11 years, 7 months and 26 days. He was arrested on November 16, 2012 and released on March 20, 2026 after serving 13 years and 4 months.

The fourth matter identified is Allah Ditta versus The State. The appeal was filed on June 18, 2022 and is also being heard for the first time.

Delay highlighted by prison reports

The cases listed before the apex court highlight appeals that remained pending for years even as the convicts completed their jail terms or, in one case, died during the pendency of proceedings. At least five such cases had surfaced from the three Punjab prisons, with prison authorities submitting status reports to the court regarding the appellants’ custody, release or death.