PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Tuesday dismissed the appeals of four police cops against the conviction by subordinate court in Kohat for attempting to smuggle a huge quantity of hand-grenades and other illegal weapons in an official vehicle.
A single-member bench of Justice Sahibzada Asadullah observed that the involvement of police personnel in arms smuggling cases was deeply concerning.In a 27-page written judgment authored by Justice Asadullah, the court noted that these officials were employed to protect citizens, yet instead of serving as a shield for the public, they were found involved in smuggling of dangerous weapons, which undermined public trust.
According to the prosecution, police officials Ajmal Sadiq, Nadeem, Baseer and Asadullah along with another man Ismail Hussain, were charged with attempting to smuggle weapons and ammunition from Orakzai to Darra Adamkhel.
During the operation, police from the Usterzai Police Station in Kohat intercepted their vehicle and seized 13 hand-grenades, a rocket launcher, shells, guns, Russian and Chinese-made SMGs and various types of ammunition that were believed to be used for terrorist activities. Some of the accused were also wearing police uniforms. Police registered a case on May 2, 2023 under the Explosives Act, Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, and other relevant laws.
Earlier, the Additional District and Sessions Judge in Kohat had acquitted three men, Wajid Hussain, Jawad Hussain and Tajammul Hussain while sentencing the five remaining accused to 10 years in prison under different sections.
During the appeal hearing, the defence argued that legal requirements were not fulfilled and that the investigation officer failed to explain how the dangerous explosives were transported or sent for testing, especially after the Bomb Disposal Unit declared them highly sensitive. They also argued that no private witnesses were produced.
After hearing arguments, the bench noted in its judgment that the accused failed to prove that the weapons were being transported officially or with proper authorisation. The court expressed shock that the offenders were employed by the police department, declaring it a serious breach of trust. It further observed that such involvement of security personnel in criminal activities eroded public confidence and created a sense of insecurity among citizens.
The judgment stated that it was extremely unfortunate when those responsible for maintaining peace deceived the public and became a threat to the very people they were meant to protect. The court added that although such incidents stained the reputation of the force, the department’s action in arresting and prosecuting the accused was commendable and served as a deterrent.
