Man sentenced to five days in prison finally freed ... after six years

A local court in Lahore has apologised to the owner of a cigarette and paan shop who had to spend six years in prison to appeal his five-day imprisonment, ordered by a special magistrate on the basis of the “Ehtram-e-Ramadan Ordinance”. “The court apologises for the delay in justice and the wrong judgment that led to imprisonment,” additional judge Amir Habib wrote in his verdict to Jamshed Iqbal’s appeal, calling it a stain on the judicial system. Iqbal was given a five-day imprisonment in 2013 by a magistrate for selling paan, an assortment that includes areca nut and tobacco wrapped in betel leaf, and other items during the fasting period, in violation of the ordinance. Under the “Ehtram-e-Ramadan Ordinance 1981”, it is illegal for Muslims to eat or drink in public from sunrise to sunset in Ramadan. While Iqbal challenged the verdict immediately, the appeal process ended up taking six years. The sessions court not only released the accused but also apologised to him for the wrongful imprisonment. The verdict also noted that the magistrate made the wrong decision by sending the vendor to prison. Furthermore, the five-day sentence was contrary to the law, it noted. The court gave directions to the Punjab chief secretary to appoint special magistrates who are competent and judicious. Lamenting the behaviour of the special magistrate, judge Habib remarked that even in mediaeval times, such decisions were not taken.