Islamabad (Urdu Point / Pakistan Point News – 6 March 2026) Islamabad Supreme Court Pakistan It issued a detailed written ruling in a case of rape, assault, and video sharing of a medical student in Faisalabad.
According to the detailed judgment approved for reporting, issued by Justice Salahuddin Banhar, the court rejected the accused’s request to combine the two separate trials related to the alleged rape and the viral video.
The court found that rape and circulating a video clip constitute two different crimes. Therefore, holding separate trials in both cases is legally justified. The ruling noted that investigations into the two cases were conducted by different agencies, and therefore the separate trials did not constitute any legal violation.
The court further noted that consolidation of such cases falls within the discretionary powers of the trial court and is not a mandatory legal requirement.
The Supreme Court also issued important directions regarding recording statements of witnesses. She stated that a chair should be provided for the witness in the witness stand during the recording of testimony. The court noted that there is no legal requirement requiring the witness to remain standing while giving his statement.
The ruling stressed that forcing a witness to stand for long periods is contrary to human dignity and the fundamental constitutional right to a fair trial.
The court further noted that asking irrelevant questions under the pretext of cross-examination to exhaust or humiliate a witness constitutes an abuse of the right to cross-examination.
It directed that the trial judge should not remain a silent spectator during questioning but should act as a vigilant supervisor. The Supreme Court also directed the Registrar to send copies of the judgment to all high courts.