ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday granted a one-week time to the federal government to submit its response in a case related to the delay in the administration of justice.
The development came as the IHC resumed hearing into the case pertaining to the non-enforcement of Police Order 2002. Last week, IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah had converted the matter into public interest litigation and sought reports from the interior secretary, the chief commissioner of Islamabad and judges of trial courts working within the IHC’s jurisdiction.
As the hearing resumed on Thursday, Additional Inspector General (AIG) Kamran Adil apprised the court that the Islamabad police are paid only Rs350 as an investigation allowance for each case. Justice Minallah observed that the investigation officer also has to take evidence to the laboratory in Lahore.
Last week, Islamabad Inspector General of Police Muhammad Aamir Zulfiqar Khan had submitted a report on the problems arising during the investigation of crimes that hindered administration of justice. In the report, IG Khan said that the investigation officer of a case had to pay Rs5,000 parcel fee from his own pocket to send evidence to a forensic laboratory for analysis.
“There should not be any laboratory fee or it should be the responsibility of the district administration [to pay the fee],” he said.
Justice Minallah noticed that by paying a meager sum of Rs350 to the investigation officer of a case, the system itself sets him up for corruption. “This a big failure of justice, our priorities are wrong,” the judge remarked. He also said VIPs only use the police force for their own purposes.
The chief justice observed that Police Order, 2002 has been enforced and hence what is happening in Islamabad now is illegal.
High profile cases are highlighted in the media but real issues are neglected, added Justice Minallah. Regretfully, we have not learnt anything from the coronavirus, he added.
“Had justice been a priority in this country, our courts would not have been in shops,” said the judge, adding: “The common man should be our priority, practices violating basic human rights should end.”
Additional Attorney General (AAG) Tariq Khokhar asked the court to grant the government two weeks to submit its response.
The CJ asked the government lawyer if he had considered the number of cases, which would be awaiting justice during those two weeks.
Justice Minallah also noted that Islamabad did not have its own jail and there was no prosecution either. Referring to the temporary lock-up in the city, Bakshi Khana, the judge asked if the additional attorney-general had ever visited the lock-up and if he would deem it fit for any human to live.
The deputy commissioner is also responsible, he should have visited each police station and inspected them in line with the police rules, remarked the Justice Minallah.
The court directed the federal government to submit its response within a week and adjourned the hearing till May 21.
The court also fixed the court reporters’ body – IHC Journalist Association – as court assistants. The bench noted that the media was also an important stakeholder and directed the body to submit its written recommendation within a week.
