SC directs AGP, provincial AGs to submit strategy to save masses from police culture

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday directed the Attorney General for Pakistan and all provincial Advocate Generals to submit a solid strategy to save the people from the police culture through fake and false case and inefficient method of investigation.

The two-member headed by Justice Jawwad S. Khawaja resumed hearing of the case. The court observed that departmental inquires are held over false cases against the lower ranks of police officials but during last 70 years no inquiry had been held against higher officers of the police department.

Justice Jawwad remarked that if a police officer repeats the wrong doings even after getting departmental punishment then why he is not removed from the service.

A lot of problems can be resolved by introducing online First Information Report (FIR) system, he said and added that the prosecution department has referred about 500 complaints regarding inefficient investigation to IG Punjab but nothing had been happened.

If we have to become a strong nation then we will have to change the present system, Justice Jawwad remarked.

During the course of proceedings, Ihteshanm Qadir Shah Prosecutor General Punjab submitted report before bench and informed that the recommendations regarding basic changes in the police system had been prepared and some meetings also held to improve these recommendations. On which justice Jawwad commented that these meetings are just paper work as nothing change on ground.

He said that if the governments had implemented the decisions then the court should be informed during the next hearing.

During hearing a woman namely Ishrat Rasheed appeared before the court and complaint that an Advocate from Attock Tahir Javed Awan has received Rs 0.1 million from her as fee and got her signatures on blank papers which he converted into Power of Attorney to his name and transferred her to his relative name and received a cheque of Rs 3 million from her relatives.

Afterwards, the Advocate got registered a fake case for theft of water pumping motor against her, she added.

Justice Jawwad remarked that the court could not go to her village to investigate regarding the credibility of the accusation and directed her to consult the local representatives regarding this matter. He also added that all nation is crying for injustices.

The court asked Hanif Khatana Advocta General Punjab that the court should be informed how this culture of police would be changed because a lot of people come before the court daily and there is no one to solve their problems.

The basic human rights of the citizen have been clearly defined in the constitution but practically the situation is other way around and the court has responsibility to provide justice to masses under the Constitution, he added.

He also said that under Article 190 all the institutions of the country are bound to obey the court orders and to assist the court.

He asked Advocate General Punjab that what Ishrat Bibi should do now. On which Advocate General replied that he would inform the court after consulting DPO Attock.

The court directed Attorney General and all Provincial Advocate Generals to submit a plan to save the masses from prevailing police culture and adjourned the case till Febraury 12.