By Dr. Abdul Ghani
In any criminal justice system, police investigation is the first and most decisive step toward justice. Courts rely on facts unearthed by investigators, prosecutors depend on the integrity of police records, and victims place their trust in the honesty of those tasked with enforcing the law. When investigations are conducted fairly and professionally, justice has a fighting chance. When they are manipulated, justice collapses before it even reaches the courtroom, leaving behind damaged lives and weakened institutions.
Systemic weaknesses undermining criminal justice in Pakistan
Pakistan’s criminal justice system continues to suffer not merely because of delayed trials or overburdened courts, but because investigations often fail to meet basic professional and ethical standards. Poor training, external pressure, lack of forensic integration, and, in some cases, deliberate misconduct weaken cases beyond repair. Flawed investigations allow hardened criminals to walk free while innocent individuals face prolonged uncertainty. The cost of such failures is paid not only by victims but by society at large.
A Faisalabad case that exposes investigative misconduct
One such incident from Faisalabad illustrates this crisis in stark terms. In Toba Tek Singh, a case was registered against a Sub-Inspector of Razaabad police station for allegedly tampering with investigation records and committing fraud in multiple cases. According to the FIR, the officer failed to forward crucial forensic evidence in a murder case and instead pasted a fake parcel receipt in the file to falsely show that evidence had been sent to the Punjab Forensic Science Agency. An internal inquiry later established that the evidence was never dispatched and that the suspect was unlawfully declared innocent, allegedly in connivance with the accused. The matter was serious enough for Ali Nasir Rizwi to suspend the officer.
Why compromised forensic evidence erodes justice
This episode is disturbing not because it is exceptional, but because it reflects a broader structural weakness. Forensic evidence, when properly collected and examined, provides objectivity and credibility to criminal investigations. When such evidence is deliberately withheld, falsified, or ignored, the entire case becomes vulnerable to collapse. Victims are denied justice, offenders escape accountability, and public confidence in law enforcement erodes further with each exposed lapse.
Investigation culture and the misuse of authority
At the root of the problem lies a flawed investigation culture. Many investigating officers continue to rely on outdated methods, confession-based policing, and discretionary practices rather than evidence-driven inquiry. Political influence, pressure from influential suspects, and fear of internal reprisals often compromise professional judgment. Even honest officers operate within a system where performance is measured by numerical disposal of cases rather than the quality and legality of investigations conducted.
Professional training as the foundation of justice
Reform must begin with recognizing that investigation is a specialized professional skill, not a routine clerical task. Investigating officers require continuous training in forensic handling, digital evidence, chain of custody, and legal standards of proof. Assigning untrained or inexperienced officers to serious crimes undermines both policing and prosecution and guarantees weak outcomes in court.
Accountability, oversight, and digital transparency
Equally important is strengthening oversight. Internal accountability mechanisms must function independently and transparently. Departmental inquiries should lead to criminal prosecution where evidence manipulation is established, not merely suspensions or transfers. Digital case management systems, where evidence movement and forensic dispatches are electronically tracked, can significantly reduce the possibility of record tampering and manipulation.
Prosecutorial coordination and mandatory forensic integration
Coordination between police and forensic institutions must also be institutionalized. Automatic forensic referral in serious offences such as murder, attempted murder, rape, and custodial deaths should be mandatory, with strict timelines and monitoring. Prosecutors should be involved at the investigation stage to ensure legal compliance and evidentiary sufficiency from the outset, rather than attempting damage control during trial.
Restoring justice through integrity and reform
Above all, the culture of policing must shift from authority to service. An investigating officer is not a gatekeeper of outcomes but a neutral fact finder. Integrity in investigation protects victims, safeguards the innocent from wrongful implication, and preserves the credibility of the police institution itself.
The Faisalabad incident should not be viewed merely as an individual failure, but as an opportunity for systemic correction. Police investigation can either strengthen the rule of law or silently sabotage it. To restore public trust, Pakistan urgently needs professional training of investigators, mandatory forensic integration, digital transparency in case files, independent accountability, and prosecutorial oversight from day one. Justice does not fail only in courtrooms; it often fails quietly in police files. Reforming investigation is therefore not optional. It is the foundation upon which justice stands.
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