A division bench of the Lahore High Court on Thursday partially allowed an appeal filed by Chief Editor of an English newspaper Rehmat Shah Arfidi, and converted capital sentence earlier awarded to him into life imprisonment.
The court however, upheld the decision of special anti narcotics court, awarding him fine of Rs two million. The accused was involved in the drug peddling case. The Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) had recovered more than 600 kgs charas on his pointation from a truck in Faisalabad. The ANF had also recovered one-kg heroin from his car.
The counsel of Rehmat Shah contended before the court that the ANF prepared a fake case and all the circumstantial evidences are contrary to the facts. He prayed to the court to set aside the conviction awarded by the special court and quit the applicant in accordance with the law.
The court, after hearing the petitioner's counsel and special prosecutor at length, accepted the appeal partially and converted capital punishment in to life imprisonment.