SC warns Sindh police of contempt over FIRs delay

The Supreme Court on Friday warned Sindh police officials of possible contempt proceedings over delays in registering FIRs, reiterating that any future defiance of its directions on prompt registration would invite action against the responsible officers. The warning came as a two-judge bench comprising Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar and Justice Salahuddin Panhwar upheld the life sentence of a man convicted of a 2012 murder in Sindh's Dadu district. While dismissing the jail petition of Ali Raza Siyal against the Sindh High Court's August 24, 2023, judgment, the court also ordered the Sindh prosecutor general to submit a report on murder cases in which FIRs were registered more than 24 hours after the alleged occurrence. "We observe with dismay, once again, the consistent practice of delayed registration of FIRs in the province of Sindh," Justice Panhwar observed in a seven-page judgment, adding that despite earlier directions - and even after the Sindh inspector general had appeared before the court - the practice showed no sign of abating. In the case before the court, the FIR was registered after a delay of more than three days, although information about the incident had been furnished the same night. The judgment expressed regret over the delay and recalled that the issue had also been highlighted by the SC in its 2026 Muhammad Bux judgment. The court directed all IGPs across Pakistan to ensure prompt registration of an FIR once the officer in charge of a police station was informed about an incident.