Supreme Court sets eight principles for cancelling bail
The Supreme Court has laid down eight principles on when an accused person's bail can be cancelled. It dismissed an appeal and upheld a Sindh High Court decision in a Larkana case.
- Supreme Court lays down eight principles on cancelling bail, in a judgement by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar
- Bail can be withdrawn for misuse, influencing witnesses, interfering with an investigation or likely flight
- Appeal dismissed and Sindh High Court's decision upheld in a Larkana case
- Copy of the judgement to go to the Wapda chairman
The Supreme Court has set out eight principles on cancelling an accused person's bail, holding that relief can be withdrawn if the accused misuses it or interferes with the judicial process. The judgement was written by Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, according to The Express Tribune and ProPakistani.
Under the principles, bail may be cancelled if the order granting it is prima facie illegal or unjust. It may also be cancelled if the accused tries to influence prosecution witnesses, tamper with evidence or obstruct justice.
Other grounds include the likelihood that the accused will flee the court's jurisdiction, interfere with a fair investigation, or commit a similar offence while on bail. New facts or evidence showing the accused's involvement in the offence are also grounds for cancellation.
The principles came in a case registered at the Rehmatpur police station in Larkana over an incident on March 3, 2024. The Express Tribune reported that a man named Noor Hussain died when an electricity wire snapped while power was being supplied to shops through a special line drawn from a disposal phase.
The Larkana sessions judge dismissed the pre-arrest bail application of the accused, Ali Asghar Khokhar, on January 30, 2025. The Larkana Circuit Court of the Sindh High Court granted him bail on October 20, 2025, citing a nine-month delay in registering the FIR and other grounds.
The Supreme Court dismissed the appeal and upheld the High Court's decision. It observed that the nine-month delay in registering the FIR and the accused's alleged role were matters requiring further inquiry.
The court also directed that a copy of the judgement be sent to the chairman of Wapda for information. According to The Express Tribune, this would let Wapda and the relevant utility company examine people involved in illegal electricity supply, power theft and private siphoning of electricity.
Why it matters for Pakistan
The principles apply to bail cancellation matters before courts across Pakistan. Accused persons who hold bail, and complainants seeking its withdrawal, can now refer to the eight grounds the Supreme Court has listed. The direction to Wapda also concerns the examination of illegal electricity supply and power theft.
