LAHORE -


Much has been done to render speedy justice over the years, but inability of police to respond to court orders without a delay always denies justice to litigants in most cases. Filing of 270 applications with lower courts against senior police officials in Lahore city within two days in the last week is enough to show performance of this department.
Court officials confirm more than 270 applications have been moved against police officials within the last two days. All the applicants charged them with non-cooperation and lukewarm response, complaining the wrong done to them was not being redressed.
Irked over repeated complaints, Additional District and Sessions Judge Tariq Mehmood Zargham the other day ordered the Lahore police chief to register cases against 17 station house officers who were not complying with court orders. These included SHO Liaqatabad, SHO Defence B, SHO Nishtar Cology, SHO Kahna, SHO Icchra, SHO Factory area, SHO Ghalib Market, SHO South Cantt, SHO Shahdra, SHO Shafeeqabad, SHO North Cantt, SHO Baghbanpura and SHO Mughalpura.  According to senior advocate Azhar Siddique, the police are legally bound to act on an application filed by anyone. “If police officials do not obey, court may start proceedings against them under the Police Order, 2002,” he went on to say. But at the same time Siddique expresses concern that a number of reports filed at the police stations were fake or bogus, so an effective legislation was required to it.  One of the applicants, Allah Ditta, says, “His daughter was kidnapped but local police were not registering an FIR against her captors.”
Asghar from Nishtar Colony, another plaintiff, said despite several attempts, police were not taking care of his application for registration of an FIR against lifters of his bike.