LHC orders IGP to make investigations more viable

Police chief says efforts are being made to remove loopholes

LAHORE: Lahore High Court’s (LHC) Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan has directed Punjab Inspector General of Police (IGP) Captain (retd) Arif Nawaz Khan to make the procedure of investigation more viable and link up the data of accused persons with the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

Justice Qasim was hearing different cases in which the performance of police officials was unsatisfactory.

As the proceedings commenced, Justice Qasim remarked that the field staff was not carrying out their duty with honesty. He further remarked that there would be a maximum 10% cases in which the accused had the previous record. Justice Qasim further observed that how could this system be made more viable. Justice Qasim quoted one case as an example that in a case police caught some accused during police encounter but the medical reports of police were defending the version of accused persons. He said police claimed to have arrested them during a police encounter but the accused claimed police had set up a police picket and demanded bribe but when they refused  they were implicated in a forged case portraying the incident of as an encounter.

“How will you examine if an accused commits an offence in Multan and caught in Lahore and he tells his fake name?” Justice Qasim questioned.

However, the IGP said they had taken several measures to make the system more viable and efforts were also being made to remove loopholes. He assured that efforts will be made to remove loopholes in the system. Justice Qasim observed that law and order could be improved if offenders would be aware that there would be no chance of their release if they commit an offence. Justice Qasim Khan had summoned the IGP but he could not appear on November 13 after which the Punjab chief secretary was directed to come along with record of leaves of the IGP when the law officer informed the court that IGP was on sick leave.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 15^th, 2019.