KARACHI, May 17: The Sindh Criminal Prosecution Services (SCPS), a newly established independent department headed by the Sindh Prosecutor-General, will control and supervise investigations into criminal cases by police and other investigating arms.

The SCPS was constituted on May 13 with the promulgation of the Sindh Criminal Prosecution Services (constitution, functions and powers) Ordinance, 2007, by the governor.

The newly-appointed SPG, Rana Shamim, told Dawn that since the SCPS had the powers to withdraw the FIR of a criminal case not fit for prosecution, the police would not be able to register false or bogus cases.

He said that it was mandatory for the police and other investigating arms to send an FIR to the SPG within 48 hours of its registration.

“The SPG office will minutely examine the content of the FIR of the criminal case to ascertain whether there is sufficient evidence to proceed with the case in a court of law,” he explained.

He said the SCPS would recommend strict departmental action against those officials who were responsible for registering defective and fabricated cases.

Official sources said nine additional prosecutors-general and 11 deputy prosecutors-general would be inducted into the department to deal with criminal cases in the Sindh High Court and the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Besides, they said, 27 district public prosecutors would be appointed for prosecution in the cases before the district and sessions courts across the province.They said 93 deputy district prosecutors for the courts of assistant and additional sessions courts and as many as 214 assistant district prosecutor for the courts of judicial magistrates would be appointed in the province for the prosecution of criminal cases.

They said a summary for new appointments had already been approved by the Sindh chief minister and by the provincial finance department. They added that 50 per cent posts would be filled by those who had already worked as district attorneys and deputy district attorneys.

They said that the district public prosecutors would be appointed by the SCPS for prosecution in 18 special courts, including anti-terrorism courts.

They said that as many as 35,000 criminal cases were pending disposal in the trial courts and the SCPS had already started to find out the reasons and factors behind the slow pace of disposal of criminal cases.

They said the SCPS had initially been given four rooms in the KDA building, although the provincial authorities had earlier allocated the old State Bank building for it.

The officials said Ishaq Lashari, an officer of the District Management Group, was appointed secretary of the SCPS. They said 24 officials, including two additional secretaries, one deputy secretary, four section officers, two law officers, one information technology expert, office superintendent and lower staff, were inducted into the department.

They said the notification of the appointment of the Sindh Prosecutor General was issued on May 16 by the Sindh chief secretary with approval from the chief minister.