KARACHI, July 27: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan on Wednesday promulgated an ordinance to establish a criminal prosecution service in Sindh.

The purpose of the service is to establish an independent, effective and efficient service for prosecution of criminal cases to ensure professional independence, for better coordination in the criminal justice system of the province and matters incidental thereto.

The ordinance will be called the Sindh Criminal Prosecution Service (Constitution, Functions and Powers) Ordinance 2006 and enforced with immediate effect throughout the province.

To establish the service the “Government shall establish and maintain a Service to be called the Sindh Criminal Prosecution Service. The Service shall consist of the prosecutor-general, additional prosecutors general, deputy prosecutors general, district public prosecutors, deputy district public prosecutors and assistant district public prosecutors.

The government shall exercise general superintendence over the Service to ensure achievement of the objectives of this Ordinance. The administration of the Service shall vest in the prosecutor-general. A public prosecutor, an additional prosecutor-general and a deputy prosecutor-general shall perform functions under the control and supervision of the prosecutor-general.

Subject to the general control of the prosecutor-general, all other prosecutors within a district shall be under the control and supervision of the district public prosecutor.

The government shall appoint a prosecutor-general, who will be the head of the Service. An additional prosecutor general and deputy prosecutors general to conduct criminal cases in Supreme Court, the High Court, the Federal Shariat Court or any other Special Court could also be appointed. According to ordinance, the government shall appoint a district public prosecutor in each district who shall be the officer in charge of the prosecution in that district.

Stating the responsibilities of police towards prosecutors, the ordinance says, “An officer in charge of a police station or the investigation officer shall immediately report to the district public prosecutor, the registration of each criminal case by sending a copy of the first information report; send the police report under section 173 of the code, to the concerned prosecutor within the period prescribed by law; and in an investigation is not completed or cannot be completed within the time provided under the law, record reasons for the delay and inform the prosecutors.

“An officer in charge of the police station or investigation officer shall within the time specified by the prosecutor, comply with the directions and remove the defects pointed out by the prosecutors in a police report under section 173 of the code, including report for cancellation of the first information report or request for discharge of an accused or suspect.”—PPI