SC allows appeals without jail surrender

The Supreme Court has made it clear that a convict's petition could be entertained without their surrender before the police or jail authorities. A division bench led by Justice Malik Shahzad Ahmad Khan, referring to the proviso to Rule 8 of Order XXIV of the Supreme Court Rules, 2025, noted that if a convict surrenders before the court, then the court may entertain his petition/application/appeal without requiring surrender to the police/jail authorities. "Therefore, it is held that under the amended Supreme Court Rules 2025, it is for the court to decide that as to whether the surrender of the petitioner/applicant/appellant before the Court is sufficient or he has to be sent to the jail in compliance of the orders/judgments of his imprisonment," said the order issued in matter related to ex-MNA Jamshed Dasti who is facing dozens of criminal cases. It further clarified that in the future, such petitions/applications/appeals filed by the convicts against their convictions shall be numbered and directly placed before the court. The bench subsequently overruled objections raised by the SC registrar office on November 18, 2025, regarding Dasti's petition. It directed that, upon request by the petitioners/appellants/their advocate on records (AORs) or their counsels in such like cases, the registrar office shall fix the case before the court on the same day or on any date noted by the petitioners/appellants/their counsels or AOR, along with any office objections. Subsequently, the bench granted protective bail to Dasti. It also sought details from Punjab government related to registration of total cases against him in the province. The court also directed the police departments not to arrest Dasti till next date of hearing. The court adjourned hearing of case till Oct 22.

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