Pakistan’s Supreme Court allows appeals against convictions without surrender — The Express Tribune

Pakistan’s Supreme Court in Islamabad clarified that petitions, applications and appeals by convicted persons may be heard without their prior surrender to the police or prison administration. The court must independently determine whether the applicant’s appearance directly before the court is sufficient.

Procedure for considering applications

A bench headed by Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan referred to the proviso to Rule 8 of Chapter XXIV of the Supreme Court Rules 2025. The order states that after a convicted person appears before the court, it is the court itself that decides whether this is sufficient or whether the person should be sent to prison to serve the sentence of imprisonment.

As The Express Tribune reports, such applications by convicted persons seeking to challenge convictions will henceforth be registered and directly submitted to the court for consideration. At the request of the applicant, their lawyer or representative, the registry must schedule a hearing on the same day or on a date specified by them, together with any registry objections.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

The case of Jamshed Dasti

The court issued the clarification in the case of former National Assembly member Jamshed Dasti, who, according to the publication, is involved in dozens of criminal cases. The bench dismissed objections raised by the Supreme Court registry regarding his petition on November 18, 2025.

The court also granted Dasti protective bail and barred police units from arresting him until the next hearing. The authorities of Punjab province must provide the court with information on the total number of cases registered against him in the province. The next hearing was scheduled for October 22.