Categories Courts

Courts Must Exercise Discretion in Favour of Accused on Concurrent Sentences, SC Rules

ISLAMABAD –  The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ruled that courts are empowered to direct that sentences for multiple convictions should run concurrently rather than consecutively. This decision, announced by a three-member bench, emphasizes that judicial discretion should ordinarily be exercised in favor of the accused, especially in case of a minor.
In a reported verdict, the bench, consisting of Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail, Justice Athar Minallah, and Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan, delivered the verdict in the case of Noor Muhammad etc. v. The State (Jail Petitions Nos. 603/2017, 442/2019, 443/2019 & 444/2019). The case involved a petitioner who had been convicted in three separate cases and was sentenced to multiple prison terms, including life imprisonment.

After the High Court dismissed his appeals, he filed petitions with the apex court. In its analysis, the Supreme Court reaffirmed the principle established in Mst. Shahista Bibi’s case, which held that sentences of imprisonment or life imprisonment, whether from the same trial or separate trials, must run concurrently. The court highlighted that this principle is based on Section 397 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).
The ruling reasserts the judiciary’s duty to balance penal consequences with fairness, ensuring that punishment for multiple offenses doesn’t become disproportionately harsh. The court stressed that the power to order concurrent sentences under Section 397 CrPC should be used to benefit the accused unless there are exceptional circumstances that warrant otherwise.

Author

Khudayar Mohla, Managing Partner Mohla & Mohla, Founder of the Law Today Pakistan,
Khudayar Mohla

Managing Partner at Mohla & Mohla - Advocates and Legal Consultants, Islamabad, Founder of The Law Today Pakistan (TLTP) Newswire Service. Former President Press Association of Supreme Court of Pakistan with over two decades of coverage of defining judicial moments - including the dissolution and restoration of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Asif Ali Zardari NAB cases, Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani contempt proceedings, Panama Papers case against Mian Nawaz Sharif, matters involving Imran Khan, and the high treason trial of former Army Chief and President Pervez Musharraf. He now practises law and teaches Jurisprudence, International Law, Civil and Criminal Law. Can be reached at: mohla@lawtoday.com.pk

More From Author

Khudayar Mohla, Islamabad High Court, IHC, Islamabad Local Government elections, local government election petitions, Election Commission of Pakistan, ECP, presidential ordinance, Islamabad Capital Territory, ICT local government, Jamaat-e-Islami, JI, Mohammad Nasrullah Randhawa, Advocate Chaudhry Shoaib Ahmed, local bodies term, constitutional obligation, local government election delay, Islamabad LG polls, ICt Local Government Amendment Ordinance 2026, President Asif Ali Zardari, Articles 17, 32, 89, 140-A, election schedule withdrawal, court adjournment, bench unavailability, deferred hearing, joint petitions, Markazi Muslim League

IHC Adjourns Islamabad LG Election Pleas After Court Roster Cancelled

  • January 27, 2026
Khudayar Mohla, Section 4-C, Super Tax Pakistan, Income Tax Ordinance 2001, ITO 2001, Finance Act 2022–23, high-income taxpayers, Federal Board of Revenue, FBR Pakistan, Federal Constitutional Court, FCC Pakistan, government appeals, Hafiz Ahsaan Ahmad Khokhar, constitutional validity, judicial review Pakistan, taxation authority, double taxation, retrospective tax, separation of powers, Pakistan tax law, federal revenue

Levy of Super Tax Within Parliament’s Exclusive Taxing Power, Govt Lawyers Argue Before FCC

  • January 26, 2026
IESCO Murree, IESCO heroes, electricity supply Murree, power continuity Murree, Murree snowfall 2026, Islamabad Electricity Supply Company, IESCO CEO Ch Khalid Mahmood, Murree power maintenance, electricity outage prevention, hilly terrain electricity, Murree winter power, Jhika Gali electricity, Nathia Gali power, Ayubia electricity supply, IESCO public service, heavy snowfall Murree, Murree snowstorm response, consumer-centric utility, electricity emergency response, field operations IESCO, SDO Jehika Gali Mushtaq Ahmad, SE Islamabad Circle Abdul Rasheed Sarki, Khudayar Mohla

IESCO Heroes Ensure Power Supply at Murree During Heavy Snowfall

  • January 25, 2026

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

You May Also Like

Khudayar Mohla, Islamabad High Court, IHC, Islamabad Local Government elections, local government election petitions, Election Commission of Pakistan, ECP, presidential ordinance, Islamabad Capital Territory, ICT local government, Jamaat-e-Islami, JI, Mohammad Nasrullah Randhawa, Advocate Chaudhry Shoaib Ahmed, local bodies term, constitutional obligation, local government election delay, Islamabad LG polls, ICt Local Government Amendment Ordinance 2026, President Asif Ali Zardari, Articles 17, 32, 89, 140-A, election schedule withdrawal, court adjournment, bench unavailability, deferred hearing, joint petitions, Markazi Muslim League

IHC Adjourns Islamabad LG Election Pleas After Court Roster Cancelled

  • January 27, 2026

ISLAMABAD:  A scheduled hearing for the Islamabad Local Government (LG) election petitions was deferred Tuesday…

Khudayar Mohla, Section 4-C, Super Tax Pakistan, Income Tax Ordinance 2001, ITO 2001, Finance Act 2022–23, high-income taxpayers, Federal Board of Revenue, FBR Pakistan, Federal Constitutional Court, FCC Pakistan, government appeals, Hafiz Ahsaan Ahmad Khokhar, constitutional validity, judicial review Pakistan, taxation authority, double taxation, retrospective tax, separation of powers, Pakistan tax law, federal revenue

Levy of Super Tax Within Parliament’s Exclusive Taxing Power, Govt Lawyers Argue Before FCC

  • January 26, 2026

ISLAMABAD: A three-member bench of the Chief Justice Federal Constitutional Court Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan is…

Khudayar Mohla, Peshawar High Court, PHC glacial ice case, illegal glacial ice harvesting Pakistan, glacier protection KP, snow transportation ban KP, environmental protection Pakistan, climate change Pakistan courts, Hazara glacier exploitation, Malakand glacier cutting, KP Environmental Protection Agency report, deputy commissioners KP directives, Upper Chitral glacier protection, Swat snow harvesting ban, Mansehra glacier preservation, Upper Dir environmental case, Upper Kurram glaciers, environmental litigation Pakistan, Tariq Afghan petition, PHC environmental orders, glacier conservation Pakistan, biodiversity protection KP, flood risk climate change Pakistan, commercial ice exploitation ban, snowbound districts KP, environmental laws enforcement Pakistan

PHC Directs 6 DCs to Protect Glacial Ice in Snowbound Districts

  • January 25, 2026

PESHAWAR: While hearing a petition from environmentalist Tariq Afghan – who sought a government crackdown…