Pakistan Supreme Court Upholds Death Sentence in Child Rape and Murder Case, Rejects Intoxication Defense
ISLAMABAD:** The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ruled that voluntary intoxication cannot be used as a defense in criminal cases, rejecting an appeal by a convicted child rapist and murderer seeking to have his death sentence reduced to life imprisonment.
In a significant judgment, the apex court upheld the death sentence of Sunny Masih, who was convicted of raping and murdering a five-year-old girl. The court dismissed his appeal and reaffirmed the decisions of the trial court and high court.
The written verdict was authored by Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar, while the three-member bench also included Justice Salahuddin Panhwar and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim.
During the hearing, the convict’s counsel argued that Masih was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crime and requested that his death sentence be converted into life imprisonment. The court rejected the plea, noting that the convict had admitted to consuming alcohol of his own free will.
The Supreme Court held that voluntary intoxication cannot be invoked as a defense against criminal liability. It clarified that legal exemption on grounds of intoxication may only be considered when a person is intoxicated against their will or unknowingly administered an intoxicating substance and is thereby deprived of understanding their actions.
The judgment described the crime as exceptionally heinous, stating that the convict had brutally raped and murdered an innocent young child. Given the gravity of the offense, the court found no grounds for leniency and dismissed the appeal.
The ruling reinforces the legal principle that individuals who voluntarily consume intoxicants remain fully responsible for crimes committed while under their influence.
This version is written in a standard news-report style suitable for publication.
