Supreme Court acquits Karachi man in child murder case

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has acquitted a man convicted in a high-profile child murder case in Karachi, ruling that the confession made in police custody and aired on television was inadmissible as evidence, ARY News reported.

Justice Athar Minallah issued a detailed 25-page written judgement, overturning the death sentence previously handed down by the trial court.

The Sindh High Court had earlier upheld the sentence, relying on circumstantial evidence and the accused’s televised confession during police custody.

The Supreme Court of Pakistan made it clear that any confession made during police custody cannot be used as evidence unless made before a magistrate, under the law.

The court criticised the conduct of the station house officer (SHO) and investigating officer (IO), who allowed a reporter access to the suspect during his physical remand, resulting in an interview that was later broadcast on a television channel.

Pakistan’s apex court stressed that this was not the first case where a suspect in custody had been subjected to such treatment and warned that such behaviour is becoming increasingly common.

The Supreme Court observed that such actions violate not only the rights of the accused but also those of the victims.

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It added that media coverage of criminal cases, particularly high-profile ones, often draws excessive public interest, leading to media trials, which can have irreparable consequences for both the accused and the victims’ families.

The court also remarked that media access to the accused may have been granted to show performance or ease public pressure, but such steps are not in the public interest.

The Supreme Court ordered that copies of its decision be sent to the Interior Secretary, Information and Broadcasting Secretary, Chairman PEMRA, and Chief Secretaries of all provinces.

The judgement reiterated a fundamental legal principle: “Every accused person is presumed innocent until proven guilty through a fair trial.”