Laughter Erupts in Supreme Court During Hearing of Life Sentence Appeal
Islamabad: A light-hearted exchange between Supreme Court Justice Hashim Kakar and the complainant in a life sentence appeal brought unexpected laughter to the courtroom during the hearing of convict Abdul Razzaq’s case.
During the proceedings, the complainant, Niaz Ahmed, requested time to hire a lawyer. Justice Kakar responded humorously, noting that the convict is set to be released on January 11, 2026, after completing his life sentence. “It’s just a matter of a few months—why do you need a lawyer now?” he asked.
Niaz Ahmed replied that a lawyer he approached was demanding Rs. 1.2 million in fees. To this, Justice Kakar quipped, “Why would you want to pay a lawyer Rs. 1.2 million?” When the complainant responded that the convict had killed two people, Justice Kakar remarked, “Spend that money on your children’s education instead. What the private lawyer will do for 1.2 million, a government lawyer can do for free.”
Despite the judge’s advice, the complainant insisted on hiring a lawyer, prompting Justice Kakar to humorously concede, “Alright then, go ahead and hire the Rs. 1.2 million lawyer—I don’t want your lawyer saying I discouraged you.”
The humorous back-and-forth sparked laughter in the courtroom.
A three-member bench headed by Justice Hashim Kakar adjourned the hearing until **September 26**.
