In a hard-hitting 17-page ruling, the Supreme Court of Pakistan has called out the lopsided and ineffective approach of law enforcement agencies in combating the narcotics trade, highlighting a deeply troubling pattern: only the poorest and most powerless — the so-called “carriers” — are routinely prosecuted, while drug kingpins and major players remain untouched and unchallenged.
The verdict, authored by Justice Athar Minallah and supported by a bench including Justice Irfan Saadat Khan and Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan, not only acquits two individuals sentenced to life imprisonment but delivers a scathing indictment of the entire anti-narcotics enforcement ecosystem.
A Broken System That Targets the Vulnerable
The court observed that while multiple agencies, including the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF), are legally empowered to curb drug-related crime, their efforts remain narrowly focused on arresting low-level offenders — many from marginalized backgrounds. These carriers are often the only ones brought to court, while those who fund, organize, and profit from the drug trade remain immune from justice.
“Have these agencies achieved their designated goal?” the judgment asks, before answering decisively: “The answer is an emphatic ‘No’.”
A National Crisis, Poorly Handled
The court emphasized the pervasive spread of narcotics, now reaching schools and educational institutions, where access is reportedly easy and enforcement weak. Even when arrests are made, the court noted, prosecution efforts are frequently flawed, resulting in weak or failed convictions that do little to disrupt the trade or deter future offenders.
In many instances, investigations lack professionalism, and trials are poorly conducted — a situation the court blamed not only on law enforcement and prosecution services but also on the judiciary itself.
Calling Out the Government and the Courts
The ruling places clear responsibility on both federal and provincial governments for failing to supervise law enforcement agencies effectively. But it goes further — extending blame to the judicial system, which, in this particular case, failed to safeguard due process at the trial court level.
The Supreme Court urged the Government of Sindh — under the Sindh Criminal Prosecution Service Act, 2009 — to reform its prosecutorial systems and ensure accountability. It called on the Prosecutor General Sindh to:
- Review this case specifically.
- Prevent future lapses by issuing prosecution guidelines under Section 9-A(1) of the Act.
- Ensure effective training and capacity building of both prosecutors and investigating officers.
A Wake-Up Call to the Judicial System
Beyond executive reform, the High Court has been advised to introduce structured training programs for judicial officers, particularly in handling criminal trials, to ensure that justice is not only done but done competently and fairly.
This judgment makes it clear that failure to curb narcotics is not just a matter of poor policing — it’s a systemic collapse involving investigation, prosecution, judicial handling, and political oversight.
Final Verdict
The Supreme Court’s ruling is a searing review of Pakistan’s current anti-narcotics strategy — or lack thereof. It exposes a legal apparatus that is selective, ineffective, and, in many ways, complicit in allowing the drug trade to flourish by targeting the lowest rungs while shielding those truly responsible.
In acquitting the accused, the court does more than overturn a conviction; it challenges the entire state machinery to stop scapegoating the poor, uphold the principles of justice, and go after the real architects of the narcotics crisis. The message is clear: justice must not only be blind — it must also be bold.
