SHC raps IG over poor investigations, IT failures

Lack of training among IOs cause recurring investigative errors

KARACHI:

The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday grilled IGP Ghulam Nabi Memon over the Police Department's substandard investigation practices and outdated IT systems, during a hearing of a narcotics recovery case.

Appearing before the SHC's constitutional bench following an earlier summons, the IGP was questioned about the registration of criminal cases, the quality of investigations, and the overall performance of investigating officers (IOs).

Justice Zulfiqar Ali Sangi expressed deep concern over "systemic flaws" in the police force, stating that the current state of affairs raises serious questions about the ability of law enforcement to deliver justice. He specifically criticised the lack of proper training among IOs, pointing to recurring investigative errors.

"The situation is so dire that we've stopped accepting computerised FIRs because they often don't match the manual versions," Justice Sangi said. Citing discrepancies, he noted instances where a manual FIR recorded 10 grams of recovered narcotics, while its computerised counterpart listed only 3 grams with differing factual details.

IGP Memon acknowledged shortcomings in the department's IT infrastructure. He informed the bench that short training courses have been introduced to upgrade the investigative skills of police officers, prosecutors, and medico-legal experts, and that these initiatives would continue.

Justice Sangi also highlighted a recent case from Hyderabad where police had incorrectly registered an FIR under Section 496 — an example, he said, of negligence that undermines the integrity of legal proceedings.

Referring to a separate incident, Justice Sangi stressed that when a woman raises concern over her husband's death, law enforcement must treat such cases with due seriousness.

The IG Sindh assured the court that reform measures are being taken to address the department's deficiencies, particularly in investigations and IT operations.