KARACHI: A Pakistani woman who is a suspect in a high-profile hit-and-run case in Karachi is set to walk free after the Sindh High Court granted her bail on Monday, three weeks after she was denied the same by a trial court over allegations that she was driving under the influence of methamphetamine drug when she killed two people.
Natasha Danish, the wife of a prominent businessman in Karachi, was arrested in August for causing a fatal accident that killed two people and caused injuries to five others. Danish had earlier received bail in the manslaughter case after the victims’ families pardoned her. However, she remained in custody on charges of driving under the influence of methamphetamine.
During a hearing of the case on Monday, the defense counsel argued that Danish was wrongfully charged under Section 11 of The Prohibition (Enforcement of Hadd) Order, 1979 which deals with alcohol consumption. The defense counsel argued that Danish was accused of consuming methamphetamine, not alcohol.
Despite opposition from the prosecution, Justice Mohammad Karim Khan Agha granted post-arrest bail to Danish. In his written order, the judge cited several reasons that questioned the justification to detain her further.
“This case has attracted a lot of media attention much of which is not in favor of the applicant as well as outcry from civil society, which might have caused prejudice to her trial,” the judge argued in his order, a copy of which is available with Arab News.
He noted that while Danish’s urine test had shown traces of methamphetamine, her blood test did not. He said these raised questions about the strength of the case, adding that further inquiry was needed to ascertain the truth.
“The urine sample given by the applicant found that the methamphetamine (ice) narcotic was detected in the given sample, hence there appears to be a contradiction between the two reports (blood & urine) which makes this a case of further inquiry,” he wrote.
The court also pointed out that the primary case involving the accident had been resolved after the victims’ families had pardoned Danish. The judge noted that Danish, a mother of three, had already spent six weeks in jail and that her prolonged detention could not be justified given the circumstances.
“The maximum sentence would most probably be less than three years which would entitle her to the grant of bail,” the judge said.
The judge pointed out that Danish’s children, which includes a young daughter, needed her mother’s support. He noted the ongoing trial was expected to take time as there were 13 witnesses yet who had to testify.
The decision to grant bail was based on a preliminary assessment of the evidence, with the court clarifying that it would not influence the outcome of the trial. Danish was ordered to provide a surety bond of Rs. 1 million in exchange for bail.
Danish’s case has attracted significant media attention in Pakistan, particularly after CCTV footage of the fatal accident circulated on social media in August. The footage showed Danish’s vehicle colliding with a motorbike, killing a student and her father.
