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LAHORE, Sep 04 (APP):The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Wednesday directed the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab to submit details of cases resolved through reconciliation by September 11.
The court also sought a detailed report on the non-submission of challans in the courts by the next hearing date.
LHC Chief Justice Aalia Neelum issued the orders while hearing a bail petition filed by one Imran Ali related to a drug case.
Earlier, IGP Punjab Dr. Usman Anwar appeared in the court, accompanied by other police officers, in response to previous court orders.
In response to a court query, the IGP Punjab informed the court that regular meetings had been conducted regarding the issue of challans, resulting in a decrease in the backlog. “The figure, initially at 362,000, has now been reduced to 242,000. We have implemented SOPs, issued show-cause notices to 11,800 negligent employees, and filed criminal cases against 500 investigating officers,” he explained.
In response to another court query regarding the nature of the 242,000 pending challans, the IGP said, “We have categorized these cases into two groups: those in which the accused have been arrested and those where they have not. The increase in FIRs is largely due to electricity theft cases. Last year alone, 59,000 cases of electricity theft were registered in Lahore and 68,000 in Faisalabad. We request the court to direct PITB to integrate the Police Station Record Management System with the prosecution’s records.”
However, the Chief Justice observed that this was a task for the government but then noted that the request would be forwarded to the government through the registrar. Subsequently, the Chief Justice sought detailed reports from the IGP by September 11 and adjourned the hearing.