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ISLAMABAD, Dec 22 (APP): The Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to Syed Muhammad, nominated in a case pertaining to the dissemination of hate material.
A two-member bench headed by Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan heard the matter. During the hearing, Justice Afghan observed that only one book had been recovered from the accused and questioned whether there was any concrete evidence on record regarding its distribution.
The state counsel raised an objection, arguing that a petition against the decision of a two-member bench of the high court was not maintainable before the Supreme Court. However, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan remarked that under the newly notified rules, the apex court was competent to hear such cases.
The prosecutor submitted that the accused was involved in the distribution of a book attributed to Osama bin Laden titled From the Desert to the Sea, and that hate material had also been recovered from the accused’s mobile phone. It was further stated that the accused hailed from Waziristan.
Justice Afghan observed that if evidence existed, it should be proved during the trial and appropriate punishment awarded. When defence counsel attempted to refer to off-the-record facts, the court clarified that it could not consider material not forming part of the record.
The defence maintained that the accused worked as a laborer in Sahiwal and was arrested by CTD Lahore in February 2025 while returning home after collecting wages. It was submitted that after 27 days, a recovery of Rs109,000 was shown against an alleged amount of Rs500,000.
The prosecutor informed the court that the case involved four witnesses and that charges had already been framed. The defence argued that the maximum punishment prescribed under the law was five years.
After hearing the arguments, Justice Naeem Akhtar Afghan directed that evidence be produced during the trial and subsequently granted bail to the accused.