LAHORE: Inspector General of Police (IGP) Inam Ghani has issued policy guidelines for the police chiefs of all regions and districts regarding their appearance before the superior judiciary.
Under the new policy, only a police officer not less than the rank of deputy superintendent of police or assistant superintendent of police would appear before the apex/higher courts.
The guidelines were issued following complaints and reservations of senior judges about the Punjab police officers/officials appearing in courts with faulty and incomplete reports, causing inconvenience to both the courts and police department.
Recently, the superior courts had expressed displeasure when complaints of non-compliance with court orders by police increased manifold, bringing embarrassment to the senior command.
The IGP has directed the regional police officers, city police officers and heads of other wings of the police to follow the newly issued guidelines in letter and spirit. He directed the senior command to designate and send only the most relevant officer to courts and implement each order in the stipulated time. “When an officer is summoned by an honourable court, only the most relevant police official concerned shall appear in the court,” reads the policy.
In case a particular officer is summoned by name or designation, the officer shall appear personally instead of deputing any other officer. “In case a report is to be submitted in a court, a complete and thorough report supported by relevant evidences shall be submitted by the officer concerned with stipulated period under the officer’s own signature,” the policy reads further.
The IGP also directed the officers to maintain liaison with law officers from the attorney general for Pakistan, advocate general and prosecutor general’s offices.
“In bail matters, the case file produced before a court shall be complete in all respects, including previous record of the accused along with status of any prior cases registered against the accused person,” he added.
The IGP stated the name and contact number of the officer deputed for appearance before the Supreme Court shall be intimated to the AIG (legal) in advance of a hearing. Similarly, the officer shall be bound to convey the proceedings of the court to the AIG verbally or telephonically on the day of appearance as well as in written form the next working day.
IGP Ghani concluded that these guidelines must be implemented to avoid strict departmental and legal action.
(Dawn)