It is duty of Police Officer, to register crime report under relevant provisions of law
PLJ 2018 · Lahore High Court (Multan Bench)
This case involved a police constable who was shot dead while on duty by armed men who intercepted his official vehicle. The attack was allegedly carried out in revenge because police from the same station had earlier wounded one of the attackers' associates during an encounter. The FIR was registered under ordinary criminal law provisions such as murder and related offences, but did not include Section 7 of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997, which deals with terrorism offences.
The complainant later asked the trial court to add the terrorism charge, arguing that the killing of a uniformed police officer, done to intimidate law enforcement and spread fear, amounted to terrorism. The trial court rejected this request, noting the case had already proceeded without that charge and no objection had been raised earlier. The petitioner then challenged this refusal before the Lahore High Court.
The High Court ruled in favour of the petitioner. It held that police officers have a duty to properly assess the facts when registering a case and during investigation, to ensure the correct legal provisions are applied. The court found that killing a police official in uniform, to create fear and deter law enforcement action, clearly meets the legal definition of terrorism. Since such cases fall exclusively under the jurisdiction of Anti-Terrorism Courts, the trial court's refusal to add the terrorism charge was illegal and unfairly prejudiced the prosecution's case. The court allowed the revision petition.
This judgment matters because it reinforces that police and prosecutors cannot sidestep terrorism charges when the facts clearly indic
یہ مقدمہ ایک پولیس کانسٹیبل سے متعلق ہے جسے ڈیوٹی کے دوران مسلح افراد نے اس کی سرکاری گاڑی روک کر گولی مار کر ہلاک کر دیا۔ الزام کے مطابق یہ حملہ انتقاماً کیا گیا کیونکہ اسی تھانے کی پولیس نے اس سے پہلے ایک مقابلے کے دوران حملہ آوروں کے ایک ساتھی کو زخمی کیا تھا۔ ایف آئی آر عام فوجداری قانون کی دفعات، یعنی قتل اور متعلقہ جرائم کے تحت درج کی گئی، لیکن اس میں انسداد دہشت گردی ایکٹ 1997 کی دفعہ 7 شامل نہیں کی گئی جو دہشت گردی کے جرائم سے متعلق ہے۔
مدعی نے بعد ازاں ٹرائل کورٹ سے استدعا کی کہ دہشت گردی کی دفعہ شامل