KARACHI: An anti-narcotics court on Friday sentenced five men to life imprisonment in a drug peddling case.

The five men — Abdul Ghani, Barkat Ali, Hakim Ali, Khan Mohammad and Abdul Majeed — were found guilty of possessing around 130 kilograms of hashish in the Quaidabad area in November 2013.

Judge Sanaullah Khan Ghoury of the Special Court-II for Control of Narcotic Substances pronounced his verdict after recording evidence of witnesses and final arguments from both sides.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs1 million each and in case of non-payment the convicts would have to undergo an additional four-year imprisonment.

The verdict said that the prosecution witnesses specifically deposed against the accused persons and their evidence remained unshakable on material points.

It added that the vehicle, which also carried contraband narcotics, was registered in the name of the father of one of the accused and the documentary evidence also strengthened the case against accused persons.

According to the prosecution, the anti-narcotic force had raided a place in Quaidabad on Nov 5, 2013 and recovered around 130 kilograms of hashish and also found over 170 bottles of liquor.

A case was registered under Section 9-C of the Control of Narcotic Substances Act at the ANF police station.

A sessions court is holding trial against the same set of the accused in the case pertaining to the alleged recovery of the liquor.

Man gets seven years in prison

An accountability court sentenced on Friday a convict to seven years in prison in a graft case.

Pervez Qasim, a former official of a private bank, was found guilty of misappropriating Rs20 million in 2006.

The judge, Abdul Latif Golo, of the Accountability Court-I also imposed a fine of Rs10.35m since the remaining amount was recovered from him before the trial.

Published in Dawn, August 30th , 2014