Lawyers seek LHC’s support: Police refuse to register FIR against CIR despite judicial order

ISLAMABAD: Punjab Police had allegedly refused to register an First Information Report (FIR) against a Commissioner Inland Revenue, Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) despite a clear judicial order dated January 3, 2026.

District Bar Associations have taken up the matter with the Chief Justice of Lahore High Court, along with the Punjab Bar Council, LHCBA and the IGP Punjab, seeking immediate intervention to enforce the court’s order and uphold the sanctity of judicial authority.

According to sources, a learned Additional Sessions Judge had categorically directed the FIR registration under the Lawyers Welfare and Protection Act, 2023 against FBR IR-Commissioner involved in violence, intimidation, and criminal misconduct against advocate. The order, described by the legal fraternity as landmark and historic, was the first decisive judicial enforcement of the Lawyer Protection Law in Punjab.

However, days after the issuance of the order, Punjab Police has yet to comply. No FIR has been lodged. No explanation has been offered. Legal observers alleged that this inaction reflects institutional collusion and protection of influential FBR officers, reducing the police force to a mere shield for bureaucratic power rather than an executor of the rule of law.

“This is not delay; this is defiance,” remarked a senior lawyer, adding that “when police refuse to act on a judicial order, the entire justice system is held hostage.”

Members of the legal fraternity warned that non-implementation of the order will fatally undermine the Lawyer Protection Law, reducing it to symbolic legislation applicable only to the powerless.

“If FIRs cannot be registered even after a court order, then the message is clear: law applies selectively in Pakistan,” stated a bar representative.

Lawyers across Punjab have expressed grave concern, stating that the case has become a litmus test for the independence of the police, accountability of FBR officials, and credibility of the justice system itself. They demand immediate registration of the FIR and a transparent, independent investigation free from bureaucratic interference.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2026