LAHORE: Amidst a wave of concern at releasing pictures of a senior bureaucrat (facing graft charges) in a lockup, some police officers admit that sharing pictures of suspects in custody with media has no legal cover, according to a report by a private media outlet.
They, however, claim that the practice is considered quite helpful in achieving certain objectives such as “creating deterrence in society”.
“Another purpose of releasing pictures of suspects in custody is to show efforts of police to control crime,” said Additional Inspector General of Police (Legal) Abdul Rab while responding the concern shown by the Lahore High Court at official release of the suspects’ pictures to media by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
Justice Ali Baqar Najafi while hearing a petition of former LDA director general Ahad Khan Cheema against his arrest by NAB in a housing scam took exception to release of his pictures when his counsel had questioned which law allowed the bureau to release pictures of Cheema standing in a lockup.