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 ofthe accusedforyears.

`How could we justify the acquittalof 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.

`If we carefully examine the system, the deputy commissioner will equally be responsible for loopholes in the criminal justice system,` he said.

He also summoned the chairman of the Capital Development Authority(CDA) at the hearing next week and sought a progress report on the construction of a jail in Islamabad.

Justice Minallah remarked that criminal courts should be with the jail for speedy trial of the suspects.

Dr Shoaib Suddle, an amicus curiae, gave an overview of the criminal justice system. He sought some time from the court to submit a detailed report.

The IHC chief justice pointed out that media also neglected miseries of poor litigants as its focus appeared to be more on those petitions filed by elitist groups or well-connected people.

`This is the reason that sessions court have been neglected by successive governments as no step has ever been taken to improve their working and their upgrade,` he said.

Justice Minallah also asked the Islamabad High Court Journalists Association (IHCJA) to suggest ways for highlighting miseries of poor litigants and provision of quicl( justice to them.