Over 3,000 cases stalled as Islamabad police lag behind on investigations

ISLAMABAD: More than 3,000 cases registered in 2024 and 2025 are still under investigation across five zones of Islamabad police, with challans yet to be submitted to courts, according to a document prepared on the directions of the inspector general of police (IGP).

The document, available with Dawn and submitted by Assistant Director Safe City Abbas Mehdi, said investigations in 3,074 cases remain pending in different police zones of the capital. Of these, 100 cases were registered in 2024, while 2,974 were registered in 2025.

The zone-wise breakdown showed 615 pending cases in City Zone, 332 in Saddar Zone, 369 in Industrial Area Zone, 847 in Rural Zone and 911 in Soan Zone.

According to the document, judicial policy requires that in cases where suspects are in custody, the challan should be filed in court within 14 days. In other cases, challans are to be submitted within three months.

"However, 3074 cases are being investigated unnecessarily," the document stated.

It also recommended that the deputy inspector general (DIG) operations, senior superintendent of police (SSP) investigation and SSP operations direct all superintendents of police in the various zones to speed up the filing of challans before courts.

Breakdown by police stations

In City Zone, the 615 pending cases include 49 at Secretariat Police Station, 99 at Aabpara Police Station, 134 at Kohsar Police Station, three at Women Police Station, 221 at Karachi Company Police Station and 109 at Margalla Police Station.

In Saddar Zone, 109 cases are pending at Ramna Police Station, 61 at Shalimar Police Station, 85 at Sumbal Police Station, 36 at Golra Police Station, 29 at Tarnol Police Station and 12 at Sangjani Police Station.

In Industrial Area Zone, the document listed 169 pending cases at Industrial Area Police Station, 99 at Sabzi Mandi Police Station, 81 at Noon Police Station and 20 at Shams Colony Police Station.

In Rural Zone, 158 cases are pending with Bhara Kahu Police Station, 21 with Phulgiran Police Station, 61 with Banigala Police Station, 588 with Shahzad Town Police Station and 19 with Nilor Police Station.

In Soan Zone, 547 cases are pending with Khanna Police Station, 126 with Koral Police Station, 16 with Kirpa Police Station, eight with Sihala Police Station, 110 with Loi Bher Police Station and 104 with Humak Police Station.

Report sent to IGP office

A senior police official, who was not authorised to speak to the media, said a report had been forwarded to the IGP office.

"We are hopeful that the police chief will take strict action and will streamline the issue as all the stakeholders have been suffering," the official said.

The figures contained in the document highlight the scale of pending investigations across the capital’s policing zones and the delay in submission of challans despite timelines set under judicial policy.