KARACHI, July 31: The special control of narcotic substance court-I on Thursday sentenced two drug peddlers to 14 years in jail in a case registered against them in 1999.

The judge, Imdad Hussain Khoso, pronounced his judgment after recording final arguments from both sides.

The prosecution said that the police had arrested the accused, Panda Khan, and, Saifullah, in 1999 from the limits of Sharah-i-Noorjehan police station and recovered around 70 kilo charas (cannabis resin) from their possession. A case (FIR No 135/99) was registered against the accused under Section 6/9-C of Control of Narcotic Substances Act 1997.

The accused were indicated on Sept 28, 2001. However, they pleaded not guilty and opted to contest the case.

The judge in his verdict said that the prosecution had successfully proved its case against the accused.

The court also imposed a fine of Rs50,000 each and in case of non-payment the accused would have to undergo six-month additional imprisonment.

The public prosecutor, Mohammad Arif Sitai, argued that the prosecution had successfully proved the involvement of the accused in the case and said that two eyewitnesses in their statements also confirmed that 70 kilo charas was recovered from the possession of the accused. He pleaded for the award of capital punishment to the accused. The defence counsel told the court that his clients were innocent and were implicated in the case.

Order in murder case deferred

The additional district & sessions judge, Central, Nelofer Shahnawaz, deferred till Aug 12 her verdict in a 14-year-old boy’s murder case.

Earlier, the court had reserved the judgment for July 31 after recording final arguments from both sides. However, the court deferred the order due to a power breakdown.

The prosecution said that Mohammad Younus, son of Mohammad Darvesh, had stabbed a 14-year-old Mohammad Ghiyas, son of Mohammad Saleem, in Liaquatabad after an exchange of hot words with him in Super Market police limits on August 20, 2001.

The injured boy could not survive though he was taken to the Abbasi Shaheed Hospital.

The accused was booked under Section 302 of the Pakistan Penal Code in the case (FIR No84/01) registered at the Super Market police station.

Afreen Baig’s murder case

The additional district and sessions judge-III, South, recorded the statements of two witnesses in the murder case of TV artiste and producer Afreen Baig and put off the hearing till Aug 7.

The judge, Sultan Mohammad Awan, who is conducting the trial inside the Central Prison, recorded the statements of two prosecution witnesses Sherry Begum, sister of the deceased, and Abdul Rasheed, a servant of Afreen Baig.

Afreen Baig was killed at her DHA residence in October 2004 allegedly by her driver, Mohammad Bux Umrani, and his wife, Zahida.

Her husband Farooq Mengal is alleged to have masterminded the murder of the TV artiste. The driver of the victim and his wife, who was maid at Mengal’s house, are co-accused in the case.

Mohammad Bux Umrani gave his confessional statement before a judicial magistrate and stated that he had killed the woman on the inducement of her husband, Farooq Mengal, since he suspected that his wife Afreen had an illicit relationship with her former husband Masjood.