Supreme Court admonishes Sindh police over delays in filing FIRs

The Supreme Court recently expressed frustration over the persistent delays in registering first information reports (FIRs) in the province of Sindh. The two-judge bench, consisting of Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar and Justice Salahuddin Panhwar, upheld a life sentence for a man convicted of a 2012 murder in Sindh’s Dadu district while reviewing a jail petition brought by Ali Raza Siyal.

Justice Panhwar highlighted the court’s repeated concerns about the practice of delayed FIR registration in Sindh, despite previous directives. In this particular case, the FIR was submitted more than three days after the incident. The court had previously admonished such delays in the Muhammad Bux case in 2026, urging all inspector generals of police to ensure immediate FIR registration upon receiving information about an incident.

The Supreme Court cited the Muhammad Bux judgment, emphasizing that time is crucial in criminal investigations to prevent the loss or deterioration of forensic evidence. Consequently, Justice Panhwar ordered the Sindh prosecutor general to submit a report within two months, documenting FIR registration times against the dates of occurrence, specifically targeting cases where FIRs were filed after 24 hours.

Furthermore, the court directed the SC registrar to translate the Muhammad Bux judgment into Sindhi for public awareness. The judgment cautioned that any future defiance of the court’s orders could lead to contempt proceedings against relevant police officials. The court also criticized the use of the term "faryaadi" in police proceedings, deeming it a vestige of colonial mindset.

The phrase "bakhidmat janaab SHO," often used as a salutation to station house officers, was similarly dismissed as lacking legal backing. The Supreme Court ruled that a trial court could take disciplinary action against the police for deliberate FIR delays, considering it more than a mere irregularity.