PESHAWAR, July 4: The Inspector-General of Police, NWFP, has empowered the prosecution inspectors and prosecution sub-inspectors to scrutinize the case challans before submitting them to the concerned court.

A standing order to this effect was issued by the IGP a few days back. Before this order the police station had to send case files to the concerned public prosecutor for scrutiny.

Earlier, the prosecution branch was functioning under the police department. To make it independent, it was separated from the police department early this year.

Through the recent standing order the police have reverted back to the previous procedure of finalizing case files by the PIs and PSIs functioning in the legal branch of the police department.

It is learnt that when the public prosecutors, who work under the law department, came out of the police influence they pinpointed flaws in investigation of different cases following which the high-ups decided to send a case first to the legal section of police where it would be scrutinized by the PIs and PSIs.

After scrutiny by the PIs and PSIs, the only job of the public prosecutors is to represent the government in courts.

Through the standing order, the IGP has also directed that the PIs and PSIs will help the investigation agency from the registration of the case up to its decision.

In the other provinces, the prosecution department has been functioning under the home department, whereas in NWFP the situation is different.