A Karachi court has acquitted Sindh senior minister Sharjeel Inam Memon and five other accused in an eight-year-old liquor recovery case, ruling that the prosecution failed to establish the charges with sufficient evidence.
The Judicial Magistrate South found that police and prosecutors had not presented concrete evidence to prove the allegations against the accused, who reportedly included Memon’s servants and prison officials.
During the proceedings, Memon’s defence argued that the bottles recovered from his hospital room contained honey and olive oil rather than liquor. His lawyers maintained that forensic and medical reports supported their position.
The court’s decision brings the case to an end after years of proceedings. The acquittal was based on the prosecution’s failure to prove the charges, while the claim about the contents of the bottles remained the defence’s position.
How the Liquor Recovery Case Began
The case dates back to September 1, 2018, when then Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar made a surprise visit to a hospital in Karachi’s Shirin Jinnah Colony.
At the time, Memon was receiving medical treatment while in judicial custody, and his hospital room had been declared a sub-jail.
During the visit, the then chief justice claimed that three liquor bottles had been found in the room. The incident prompted further action against Memon and led to the registration of a police case.
Memon was subsequently transferred to Karachi Central Jail.
Police Registered Case Under Prohibition Law
Following the incident, Boat Basin police registered a case under Section 4 of the Prohibition (Enforcement of Hadd) Order, 1979, which concerns the possession of intoxicants.
The proceedings continued as the prosecution sought to establish the allegations against Memon and the other accused.
The defence disputed the allegation that the recovered bottles contained liquor. Lawyers argued that forensic and medical reports supported their claim that the bottles contained honey and olive oil.
The prosecution, however, failed to establish the charges with sufficient evidence, according to the court’s ruling.
Court Finds Evidence Insufficient
The Judicial Magistrate South acquitted Memon and the five co-accused after finding that the prosecution had not produced concrete evidence to prove the case.
With the acquittal, the eight-year-old case has reached its conclusion at the trial court level. The decision does not establish the defence’s account as an independent finding unless expressly stated in the court’s written order.
The case attracted attention in 2018 because it followed a surprise hospital visit by the then chief justice while Memon was in custody. Its conclusion rests on the court’s finding that the prosecution failed to prove the allegations.
