PESHAWAR: Peshawar High Court on Thursday suspended a sentence of 10 years simple imprisonment awarded to a police investigation officer (IO) for ‘fabricating false evidence’ in a murder case by a trial court and set him free on bail.

A bench consisting of Justice Syed Arshad Ali and Justice Kamran Hayat Miankhel admitted to regular hearing an appeal filed by the convict, Hidayatullah, against his conviction.

The bench also accepted plea of the appellant, seeking suspension of his sentence and his release on bail till final disposal of his main appeal.

Recently, an additional sessions judge, Imtiaz Ali, pronounced that the accused IO was found guilty of offences under sections 186 (2) (hampering investigation) and 193 (fabricating false evidence) of Pakistan Penal Code.

The judge had convicted the accused on both the counts and sentenced him to seven years’ imprisonment under Section 193 and three years’ imprisonment under Section 186 (2) of PPC. “Since the offences are not cognate therefore, it is directed that punishments shall run consecutively,” the court had pronounced.

Advocate Shabbir Hussain Gigyani appeared for the appellant and argued that the additional sessions judge had conducted the entire proceedings in a haphazard manner and convicted his client in a single go without granting him the right to legal counsel.

He argued that the court had acted in haste without fulfilling due legal process. He stated that the act of sessions judge was equivalent to violating legal and constitutional requirements by simultaneously acting as complainant, investigator, prosecutor and judge.

Published in Dawn, June 12th, 2026