KARACHI: A model court has acquitted a woman in a drugs case after a lengthy trial. Rukhsana was exonerated from the charge of possessing hashish in 2014.

Additional District and Sessions Judge Liaqat Ali Khoso of the Model Criminal Trial Court (Central) pronounced his verdict after recording evidence and final arguments from both sides.

The excise police had arrested her for possessing hashish and lodged a case under Sections 6 9(C ) of the Control of Narcotic Substances Act, 1997.

Defence counsel Shahzad Ishaque argued that since 2014 no witness had been examined by the prosecution against his client, who was facing the trial without any progress.

He moved an application under Section 265-K of the criminal procedure code (CrPC) and pleaded the court to acquit her of the alleged false case.

The judge wrote in the judgment that the case record revealed that since framing of charges on Oct 23, 2014 not a single witness appeared and examined by the prosecution till date.

Published in Dawn, July 10th, 2022