ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court has reduced the life imprisonment of a murder convict to 15 years and laid down comprehensive guidelines governing the use of personal information in police records.
A three-member bench comprising Justice Hashim Kakar, Justice Salahuddin Panhwar, and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim announced the verdict in the murder case. The judgment was authored by Justice Hashim Kakar.
In its detailed judgment, the apex court held that under Islam, a person’s status or dignity does not change upon conversion to the faith.
The court declared it unlawful to describe any individual as “new” or “separate” on the basis of religious conversion, emphasizing that human dignity is not a privilege but a fundamental right inherent to every individual.
The bench observed that derogatory terms such as “Bhangi,” “Choora,” and “Masali” are not identifiers of caste but expressions used to demean individuals.
It expressed regret that society often measures a person’s respect not by inherent dignity but by the nature of their occupation.
The court ruled that viewing those who make cities livable as inferior reflects a moral failure.
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It stressed that in the eyes of the law and society, every individual is entitled to dignity, respect, and equality, regardless of profession.
The judgment noted that Article 25 of the Constitution guarantees equality before the law and equal protection to all citizens, while Article 26 prohibits discrimination on the basis of religion, race, caste, or gender.
The Supreme Court directed Inspectors General of Police (IGs) of all provinces and Islamabad Police to ensure that no mention of caste, community, tribal identity, or religious conversion is made in First Information Reports (FIRs), arrest memos, recovery reports, or charge sheets.
The court further ordered that police records must not include references to a person’s conversion status or use derogatory language.
Caste may only be mentioned if the investigating officer provides written and compelling reasons justifying its relevance to the case.
According to the case history, the convict, Arshad alias Billu, murdered Muhammad Tufail in October 2004.
The trial court had sentenced him to death, a penalty later commuted to life imprisonment by the Lahore High Court.
In concluding its judgment, the court underscored that the Constitution and the law guarantee equal rights to every citizen and that discrimination in any form is unacceptable.