ISLAMABAD, May 18 — Investigations into more than 3,000 criminal cases registered over the last two years remain incomplete across five zones of the Islamabad capital police. According to an official document issued on the directions of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), police have failed to submit the required legal paperwork, known as challans, to the courts. This massive delay directly violates judicial policy guidelines, which require police to submit case files within 14 days if a suspect is in jail, and within three months for all other regular cases.
Quick Facts
- A total of 3,074 criminal investigations from 2024 and 2025 are currently stalled.
- The backlog includes 100 cases from 2024 and 2,974 cases from 2025.
- The Soan and Rural zones account for the highest delays, with over 1,700 pending cases combined.
- Shahzad Town (588 cases) and Khanna (547 cases) are the worst-performing police stations.
- Official guidelines require investigations to be completed within 14 days to three months.
- Top police commanders have been ordered to crack down on delayed files to clear the legal gridlock.
Out of 3,074 cases, 100 were registered in the year 2024 and 2,974 cases in 2025.https://t.co/ZE0JN9yqIv pic.twitter.com/Hv8DvnabDL
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) May 18, 2026
The data, compiled by Assistant Director Safe City Abbas Mehdi, reveals major performance gaps among the city’s various police stations. The Soan Zone leads the delays with 911 unfinished investigations, closely followed by the Rural Zone with 847 cases. Within these areas, Shahzad Town Police Station and Khanna Police Station have the largest backlogs, each leaving over 500 cases stuck in limbo. Other busy urban locations, such as the Karachi Company Police Station in the City Zone, are also struggling with a heavy backlog of 221 pending cases.
Senior police officials acknowledge that these unnecessary delays are clogging the local judicial system and harming the public’s access to justice. In response to the report, recommendations have been sent to the DIG Operations and Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) to enforce strict deadlines on all zonal superintendents. The police department is hoping that immediate disciplinary action will streamline the investigation process, forcing officers to wrap up old cases and present them before the courts without further delay.
