The Lahore High Court has declared arrests made on the basis of supplementary statements recorded after an FIR illegal, ruling that the practice violates fundamental rights.
Justice Muhammad Tariq Nadeem issued the decision while hearing the bail application of accused Umar Farooq. The written verdict states that an arrest on mere suspicion, verbal information, or a delayed supplementary statement holds no legal standing.
The court further ruled that a confession before police carries no legal value.
The court directed the Inspector General of Punjab Police to circulate copies of the verdict to all Regional Police Officers, City Police Officers, and District Police Officers across the province.
Justice Nadeem also ordered a strict legal review of all arrests made based on supplementary statements and sought an implementation report within two weeks.
During the proceedings, Additional IG Investigation Shahzad Sultan conceded that no provision for supplementary statements exists in law.
He admitted that investigation officers misuse supplementary statements for malicious purposes and assured the court that no accused would henceforth face arrest solely on such grounds.
The court granted post-arrest bail to Umar Farooq, alias Ehtesham, in the murder case.
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