PESHAWAR:
The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ordered the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Advocate General to submit a detailed report regarding all vehicles seized in criminal cases and currently held in police stations across the province.
A three-member bench, comprising Justice Mussarat Hilali, Justice Shakeel Ahmad, and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim, issued the order while hearing a case at the Peshawar Registry.
The justices expressed serious concern over the unauthorized use of case property vehicles by police officers, terming the practice unlawful and unacceptable.
Justice Hilali remarked that police officials were treating seized vehicles as their personal property. “It’s like a loot sale,” she said. “They hand over vehicles to whomever they want, and these are then seen on roads with tinted windows. Instead of providing security, police have become a source of insecurity.”
Justice Shakeel Ahmad warned that the court would issue contempt notices to those responsible and pass strict orders to prevent the future use of seized vehicles. “No one will be allowed to misuse these vehicles,” he stated.
Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim added that the police had established a “kingdom of their own,” distributing vehicles as they pleased. “This is not above the law, and we will not allow it,” he said.
During the hearing, Advocate General Shah Faisal Utmankhel informed the court that 1,119 vehicles were parked at Daudzai Police Station’s warehouse, while 36 more were kept temporarily at the Mathra Police Station. However, he admitted that he had limited time to gather complete data and requested more time to compile a full report.
Justice Hilali pointed to a vehicle previously summoned by the court that had been in use by a retired police officer for five years, without any official record. The court questioned why the vehicle was not stored in the warehouse, as required by law.
The bench also discussed the need for legal reforms under the province’s narcotics laws to allow auctioning such vehicles and depositing proceeds into the public treasury. The Advocate General responded that no such rules currently exist.
The court emphasized that thousands of seized vehicles are decaying, piled on top of one another, or stripped of valuable parts. SHOs are reportedly using these same vehicles for raids and personal use.
The court warned that if the next report is inaccurate, strict action will be taken against responsible officials. It directed that the July report must clearly state each vehicle’s location, status, and connection to any case. The case was adjourned until next month.
