KARACHI: A senior police officer has informed the Sindh High Court (SHC) that all possible efforts are being made to improve the investigation system in Karachi as well as other parts of the province.

The SHC observed that the investigating officers (IOs) in various cases were not properly probing the matters and due to their poor investigation, the accused persons were taking advantage of such weakness.

At the last hearing, the court had directed the provincial police officer to file a report about a sexual abuse case as it was not probed by a special investigation unit as mandated under the law and also ordered the Karachi police chief to take stern action against the senior superintendent of police (investigation), DSP and police inspector concerned for not performing their duties as per law.

At the outset of the hearing, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police (crime & investigation) Zulfiqar Mahar turned up and filed a report along certain documents in the light of the last order.

He submitted that police were taking all possible efforts to improve the investigation system in Karachi as well as other parts of Sindh.

The DIG also undertook to comply with the last order of the court in letter and spirit, but requested to recall such order to the extent of taking stern action against the SSP and two other officers of the special sexual offences investigation unit.

A single-judge bench headed by Justice Amjad Ali Sahito in its order said: “On his undertaking, the order dated 03.07.2024 is hereby recalled to that extent. It is noted in different cases that investigating officers of the different cases are not properly investigating the matters and due to poor investigation, the accused are taking advantage of the said weakness.”

An additional prosecutor general asserted that in order to improve investigation, law graduate inspectors of police had been appointed at various police station in Karachi region as IOs, but many police station were still without such officers.

Thereafter, the bench asked the IGP to post newly-recruited law graduate inspectors in all police stations as IOs within jurisdiction of Karachi division, and sought compliance report till July 30.

Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2024