Eight-month data: Online complaint system gains traction

More than half of all complaints on 8787 filed through calls, SMS or email

LAHORE: The trend of registering online complaints has increased in popularity as the process has become more simplified and convenient for the people. At least 9,656 complaints have been registered by the Lahore police’s Online Complaint Cell in the first eight months since it was set up in February.

These figures were shared by AIG Syed Khurram Ali while speaking to The Express Tribune on Thursday.

He said the Complaint Cell 8787, which was established at the IG office, received 9,656 out of 18,288 complaints till October through calls, SMS or email.

He added before the launch of the centre, a complainant had only three ways to convey his complaint to the higher police authorities: open katcheri, in person or through post.  “All these methods consumed a lot of time and energies. A complainant has to travel a long distance to reach IG Office to attend open katcheri or hand over the complaint by hand,” the AIG said. He maintained complaints sent by post also took time to reach and sometimes were lost or misplaced due to negligence of the staff.

The process

Once the complaint was lodged at Online Complaint Cell 8787 through call, SMS or email, a message containing registration number of the complaint and name of the investigation officer was sent to the complainant. The message was also delivered to the concerned officers whom the complaint was marked.



A police officer of minimum DSP rank was appointed to investigate the complaint. It was mandatory for him to contact the complainant within eight hours and take necessary action.  The officials at Complaint Cell 8787 contacted the complainant and enquired if an action was taken on the complaint and he was satisfied or not. Final report was also received after completion of investigations.

The statistics

Out of 18,228 complaints registered at the cell, 4,832 were received by post, 2,876 in person, 820 on directives of higher authorities, while 44 through other means.

At least 7,871 complaints were against non-registration of FIR by local police followed by 3,586 against negligence in duty, 1,386 against faulty investigation, 1,037 against registration of false FIR, 697 against demand of illegal gratification and 210 against arrest of innocent persons.

Mixed reaction

Meanwhile, mixed reaction was received when The Express Tribune spoke to complainants, who accessed the 8787 helpline.

Zulfiqar Ali, a school teacher and a resident of Quaid-e-Abad, District Khushab, said he had a property dispute with his cousins, who had illegally occupied his land. He approached the local police but in vain. Therefore, he sent a complaint SMS on 8787 on July 28. He added Investigation Officer DSP Mitha Tawana contacted him within an hour and asked him to visit his office. The DSP told him that he had called the other party too. Zulfiqar said both parties reached a compromise and the dispute was resolved. He expressed satisfaction on working of the complaint cell.

Another citizen Muhammad Dilshad, a resident of Kot Chitha, Dera Ghazi Khan, said his political opponents had tortured and abused his cousin during local body elections in November 2015. He further said police failed to register an FIR therefore he lodged a complaint on 8787 but failed to receive positive response.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 7^th, 2016.