The Lahore High Court (LHC) has mandated that a test identification parade (TIP) of jailed accused persons be conducted within 48 hours. This directive was issued by LHC Justice Tariq Saleem Sheikh during a hearing involving petitioners awaiting the TIP since May 25. The judge also instructed the sessions judge Multan to complete the petitioners’ TIP within two days.
Justice Sheikh’s judgment included eight directives focused on TIP conduct and actions against Investigation Officers (IOs) for any proven negligence. This verdict follows incidents on May 9 when Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers protested against the arrest of their party chairman, which resulted in widespread violence, road blockages, and property damage.
Accused petitioners, seeking a TIP to initiate their release procedures, claim non-involvement in these incidents. They argue that the government intentionally delays the process of imprisoning them. However, the assistant advocate general (AAG) denied any administrative wrongdoing, citing the scale of the incidents and a long TIP waiting list.
During the hearing, Justice Sheikh highlighted the importance of individual rights and the distress caused by pre-trial detention, especially for those later found innocent. He noted that current TIP practices are inefficient, with delays compromising the procedure’s credibility, causing unnecessary hardship, and impacting fundamental rights to liberty, dignity, due process, and a fair trial.
 has directed authorities to conduct a test identification parade (TIP) of jailed accused persons within 48 hours, a step towards improving judicial efficiency and safeguarding fundamental rights.){kind=link}