ISLAMABAD: The ‘Justice Committee’, an apex body of the capital city to ensure effective administration, has decided to take strict action against the registration of frivolous first information reports (FIRs) to curb this practice.

The high-level committee includes the Islamabad High Court chief justice, sessions judges, the police chief, the law secretary, and the chief commissioner among others. It is responsible for ensuring the effective administration, operation and development of a fair, impartial, and inclusive rule of law to address provincial law, justice and security challenges within the Islamabad Capital Territory. It works under the guidelines laid down by the National Judicial Policy-Making Committee headed by the chief justice of Pakistan.

The meeting presided over by Chief Justice Aamer Farooq included District and Sessions Judge West Azam Khan and District and Sessions Judge East Shahrukh Arjumand, Secretary Law and Justice Raja Naeem Akbar, Chief Commissioner Chaudhry Mohammad Ali Randhawa, Inspector General of Police Syed Ali Nasir Rizvi.

Body concerned over delay in establishment of ‘independent’ prosecution department in capital

According to the agenda of the meeting, the committee was scheduled to review the progress on the establishment of Islamabad’s prosecution department, appointment of parole officers, legal action against registration of frivolous FIRs, the construction of Islamabad jail, and other issues.

Sources told Dawn that IGP Rizvi informed the meeting about the law regarding the registration of frivolous FIRs, saying the law already existed but was not being implemented to punish the violators.

It may be mentioned that Section 182 of the Pakistan Penal Code provides for a maximum penalty of six months imprisonment or fine or both in case a person deliberately had a fake case registered. The section is, however, non-cognisable.

The committee was informed that all the station house officers (SHOs) in Islamabad had been directed to invoke this provision in case the complaint turned out to be bogus. The chief commissioner apprised the committee about the progress in the finalisation of the rules for the appointment of parole officers in Islamabad.

The committee expressed concerns over an inordinate delay in the establishment of an “independent prosecution department” in the federal capital despite the fact that the law had already been promulgated. Sources said that the committee reviewed the progress on the construction of Islamabad Model Jail as well.

Commissioner Randhawa informed the committee that the construction work could be expedited if the contractor worked three shifts. The committee was told that 73 per cent of the administrative block, 98 per cent of the boundary wall, and 42 per cent of the male barracks had already been completed. He further informed the committee that a site inspection was scheduled today (May 8) to evaluate the ongoing construction work.

Published in Dawn, May 8th, 2024