Natasha Danish denied bail in drug case

A judicial magistrate on Monday denied post-arrest bail to Natasha Danish, the driver of vehicle involved in the tragic Karsaz Road accident that led to the deaths of a father and his daughter.

Natasha Danish was said to be driving under influence when she lost control of her SUV speed causing it to ram into a motorcycle before plunging onto the service road. The accident took place on August 19.

The defence counsel and state prosecutor Muzafar Soomro appeared before Judicial Magistrate (East) Muhammad Raza Ansari to argue on a separate bail application filed in the drug case.

The defence argued that the investigating officer had “manipulated the blood and urine samples” taken from his client.

The state prosecutor opposed the bail application and after hearing the arguments the court reserved its order.

The order, given today by Judge Ansari, said that Danish’s lawyer could not satisfy the court regarding section 11 (drinking liable to tazir) of the Prohibition (Enforcement of Hadd) Order (PEHO) of 1979, adding that the claim of blood and urine samples being manipulated was false.

“There is nothing as such in the police’s file,” the court said.

A court had previously granted her bail from manslaughter charges after the victims family pardoned her “in the name of Allah.”

The aggrieved party’s lawyer, Barrister Aziz Ghouri, denied that diyat (blood money) was paid to the family, saying that the suspect was pardoned “in the name of Allah.”

“[They have forgiven the suspect] out of court in the name of Allah”, according to the affidavit that has come forward,” he said.

“They (the family) are saying that they have forgiven because those who forgive have the highest stature,” he added as he denied reports of any monetary settlement between the two parties.