A Sukkur district and sessions court has ordered the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against nine police officers, following allegations of a staged “fake encounter.” The ruling comes after a petition filed by the family of the victim, who claimed the officers fabricated the incident to cover up an act of extrajudicial violence.
The court’s directive mandates that the local police station chief register the case immediately, bypassing the department’s typical internal resistance to such filings. The judge found sufficient evidence—based on the preliminary testimony and medical records—to warrant a formal criminal investigation into the officers involved.
For years, families in the Sukkur division have accused local law enforcement of using “encounters” to clear backlogs of cases or settle personal scores. This court order signals a rare, albeit small, shift in judicial oversight regarding police immunity.
The petition detailed how the victim was allegedly taken into custody without a warrant, held incommunicado for two days, and later presented as having been killed during a shootout with “armed bandits.” The family’s lawyer presented witness accounts suggesting the victim was unarmed and in police custody hours before the reported gunfight.
While the Sindh Police hierarchy has yet to issue a formal response, the nine officers named in the order have been directed to surrender their service weapons and remain in the jurisdiction pending the initial investigation.
Critics of the provincial police force argue that such encounters are rarely challenged because the officers involved often act with the tacit approval of their superiors. By compelling the registration of an FIR, the court has effectively stripped away the veil of administrative protection these officers usually enjoy.
The legal battle is far from over. The officers are expected to challenge the court’s order in the High Court, a move that would likely delay the investigation for months. For now, however, the family has secured the one thing they were denied for weeks: a formal record of their allegations.
