ISLAMABAD: The Court of Additional Sessions Judge, Lahore (ASJ) has directed IG Police, Punjab to immediately register an FIR against an Islamabad-based Commissioner Inland Revenue (IR), following allegations of threats and defamatory content against a Supreme Court lawyer from Lahore.
The ASJ in a petition “Waheed Shahzad Butt vs IG Police Punjab and others”, directed the SHO, to register an FIR on the basis of the petitioner’s complaint against FBR Commissioner.
The Court stated: “The petitioner, a practicing advocate of the Supreme Court based in Lahore, sought registration of an FIR alleging that the accused tax official uploaded threatening and defamatory content.
The content was allegedly posted in connection with a reply filed before the Federal Tax Ombudsman in Islamabad. Petitioner invoked provisions of the Lawyers Welfare and Protection Act, 2023, and the Pakistan Electronic Crimes Act, 2016, claiming that his professional reputation suffered due to online publications.
International Constitutional Lawyer Muhammad Azhar Siddique, Chairman Judicial Activism Panel, told Business Recorder that this ruling sends a clear and unambiguous message, rank does not override law. Authority does not excuse crime and the police cannot act as gatekeepers for the powerful.
Initially, police had submitted a report suggesting that since the accused’s office is in Islamabad and the FTO complaint was filed there, the appropriate forum would be the FIA or NCCIA, both of which have jurisdiction over cyber offences and federal employees.
The court rejected the police’s jurisdictional objections. When a complaint is reported, the police obligated to register an FIR. Police cannot redirect complainants to another agency at the threshold, especially when alleged offences include threats under specific protective statutes for lawyers.
The Lawyers Welfare and Protection Act, 2023, obligated authorities to protect lawyers from intimidation and mandates FIR registration upon disclosure of a cognizable offence.
While the accused is located in a different jurisdiction, police are duty-bound to register a cognizable offence and can proceed under section 177 CrPC after registration. The report of the SP (ADCO) was deemed legally unsustainable.
Territorial jurisdiction at the pre-FIR stage is premature and should not be used as a tool to deny access to justice, ASJ ordered.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026
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