PESHAWAR: Supreme Court of Pakistan on Wednesday sought complete details from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government of vehicles seized in criminal cases by police and parked in warehouses on orders of different courts.

A bench consisting of Justice Musarrat Hilali, Justice Shakeel Ahmad and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim directed the KP advocate general, Shah Faisal Uthmankhel, to submit the said details by today (Thursday).

The bench issued the order here in Supreme Court’s Peshawar Registry in an appeal filed by a citizen Imran Khan, seeking custody of his vehicle on Superdari.

The appellant claimed that his vehicle was taken into custody by police in an alleged narcotics-trafficking case and instead of parking it in the warehouse, in accordance with order of the relevant court, had been in use of a police officer.

Petitioner complains his vehicle is in use of a DSP

Justice Hilali wondered how a vehicle, which was a case property, could be used by police instead of parking it in the warehouse. Justice Ishtiaq also observed that unless action had been taken against any police officer for misusing his powers, such wrongdoings couldn’t be checked.

Advocate Anjum Durrani appeared for the appellant and stated that his client had purchased a luxurious Toyota vehicle model 2010. He claimed that the vehicle was seized in connection with a narcotics case in 2020 in the limits of Chamkani police station and since then it had been in possession of a deputy superintendent of police (DSP), who had already now been retired.

He stated that under the law such vehicles should be parked in police warehouse instead of being utilised by officers.

He contended that the vehicle might be given on Superdari to his client. He added that the appellant was not charged in the case.

The bench had also summoned a government vehicle examiner and directed him to carry out examination of the said vehicle and submit his report whether it was parked in the warehouse or was in running condition.

The bench also directed the AG to let the court know how many vehicles, which were case properties, had been in warehouses and how many were in use of police officers.

During course of hearing, Justice Shakeel observed that officers should show some mercy on the country and avoid indulging in such illegal acts.

Justice Hilali also asked the AG as to why they had only been targeting low-ranking officials and not taking action against senior officers. Unless action was taken against senior officers, the judge observed, the system couldn’t be rectified.

Published in Dawn, June 12th, 2025