KARACHI: A sessions court has sentenced a drug trafficker to 20-year imprisonment in a case pertaining to possession of over 18 kilogram of hashish.

Additional District and Sessions Judge (Central) Ghullam Abbas Memon found accused Asif Khan guilty and also imposed a fine of Rs800,000 on him.

The judge ruled in the verdict: “The prosecution presented compelling and credible evidence that undeniably established the guilt of the accused. When it comes to narcotics cases, the courts are expected to adopt a proactive stance rather than dismissing the accused based on technicalities. It is clear that the prosecution has diligently built its case, and the accused should not be afforded leniency solely on the grounds of minor discrepancies that are inherent and expected over time. It is a well-established principle that minor discrepancies may arise in any case, as no testimony can be as precise as a photograph.”

It said: “In the current matter, it is crucial to recognise the provision outlined in Article 29(d) of the CNS Act, 1997. This provision establishes a presumption that an individual found in possession of narcotics, controlled substances, or any remnants thereof, without a satisfactory explanation, is presumed to have committed an offense relating to the production or manufacture of such substances, unless proven otherwise. In the present case, the accused was found trafficking illegal narcotics viz. charas cleverly concealed in shape of packet, and this has been established with convincing evidence. Despite this, the defence’s argument is not valid when the specific circumstances of the case are taken into account.”

According to the prosecution, the complainant stated that in April 2024 he was posted at the Excise Police Station in District Central. During that time, he received a tip-off that a young man, who was in possession of drugs, was “attempting to smuggle them beneath a bridge in the Liaquatabad area”. After receiving the information, the Excise police conducted a raid at the spot, apprehended the accused, and recovered a large quantity of contraband from his possession.

The court noted that the defence contention, consisting primarily of a claim of “false implication by the police, lacked substance and credibility, as no supporting evidence, documents, or witnesses were presented to substantiate the claim”.

A case was registered at the Excise Police Station under Section 9(i) 3 (e) CNS (Amendment) Act, 2022.

Published in Dawn, March 7th, 2026