The Supreme Court, expressing its surprise and annoyance over working of police and law-enforcement agencies, on Friday observed they were harassing innocent citizens, but criminals were going unpunished.
A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Justice Tariq Parvez was hearing a suo motu case of harassment against Gujranwala police. The apex court said that such attitude of the police created a situation in which the courts were left with no option but to acquit the accused. The bench directed the inspector general of police Punjab to take this case as a test case for the purpose of ascertaining facts and fixing responsibility on the police officers/officials responsible for harassment. He was further directed to file a detailed report on the number of the accused booked along with the rate of acquittal or conviction. The bench observed when an accused was acquitted by a court, it was the duty of the police concerned to file appeals at higher judicial forums.
The bench was apprised by Additional Advocate General Razzaq A Mirza that the FIR registered against Hafiz Shahid Munir, a journalist, by the Gujranwala police, had resulted in his acquittal for lack of prosecution evidence. The bench questioned the additional advocate general if there was no evidence, why the accused was challaned. Further hearing was adjourned to March 22.