The Supreme Court has overturned the conviction of former federal minister Anwar Saifullah Khan, declaring his sentence issued in 2000 null and void, and restored the Lahore High Court’s acquittal ruling of June 13, 2002.

Justice Salahuddin Panwhar of the Supreme Court issued the written judgment on Anwar Saifullah’s review petition, emphasising that under Article 12 of the Constitution, no person can be punished more severely under a later law for actions committed in the past.

The court pointed out that the 2000 sentence, handed down under the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Ordinance of 1999, was harsher than what the law allowed at the time the alleged offences occurred in 1996.

Applying such a law retroactively, the judgment said, was unconstitutional.

The court said that Anwar Saifullah Khan, during his tenure as Minister for Petroleum, had carried out all appointments according to the laid-down procedures, contradicting the accusations of illegal hiring.

The verdict also noted that the prosecution had not presented any evidence of bribery or financial loss to the national treasury, and that mere administrative irregularities were not enough to prove criminal intent.

The review petition was therefore accepted to correct a clear error on the record.

It may be recalled that Anwar Saifullah Khan had faced allegations in 1996 for making illegal appointments in the Oil & Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) while serving as Federal Minister for Petroleum.