IHC tells police to withdraw personnel from VIP duties.

ISLAMABAD -- Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Justice Athar Minallah on Thursday directed the Islamabad police to withdraw the personnel deployed for so-called VIP duties as because of unnecessary protocol duties their capacity to keep check and investigate crimes are being compromised.

Justice Minallah, while acknowledging that judges along with other stakeholders of the criminal justice system are equally responsible for the delayed justice, held that in majority of cases flawed investigations resulted in unnecessary incarceration of the accused for years.

'How could we justify the acquittal of an accused after 10 years of imprisonment,' he asked.

Citing a report submitted by the Inspector General of Islamabad Police, Justice Minallah said that it was alarming that the state paid Rs300 to an investigation officer to probe serious crimes.

In his report, the IGP revealed that the investigation officer of a case had to pay Rs5,000 parcel fee from his own pocket to send evidence to a forensic laboratory for analysis.

Similarly, the report said, an IO paid Rs15,000 for a sketch of a suspect of the crime scene.

Such circumstances encouraged the investigation officer to demand bribe from parties related to the case, remarked Justice Minallah.

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