The Supreme Court of Pakistan has issued mandatory instructions to police chiefs across all provinces and the Islamabad Capital Territory to eliminate references to caste, tribe, biradari, religious conversion status, and offensive language from official documentation. This prohibition applies to First Information Reports (FIRs), arrest memos, recovery memos, challans, and general police filings, except in rare instances where an investigating officer explicitly documents written justifications demonstrating that such details are strictly necessary for legitimate investigative needs.
Constitutional Safeguards and Legal Basis
Delivered on January 26, 2026, in Arshad v. State (Jail Petition No. 183/2019), the verdict was authored by Justice Muhammad Hashim Khan Kakar on a three-judge bench comprising Justice Salahuddin Panhwar and Justice Ishtiaq Ibrahim. The bench reprimanded law enforcement personnel for describing a complainant as 'Nau-Muslim Sheikh' within official Urdu records. The court emphasized that under Islamic principles alongside Articles 25 and 33 of the Constitution of Pakistan, religious conversion establishes equal status, leaving no legal or religious justification for separate labeling.
Eradicating Social Stigma
The judgment specifically condemned the use of derogatory and occupational terms such as 'bhangi', 'chura', 'musalli', and 'jamadar', noting that such language violates constitutional guarantees of human dignity and perpetuates social discrimination. To ensure compliance, the Registrar of the Supreme Court was instructed to transmit copies of the ruling to provincial Inspectors General of Police, Home Secretaries, and the ICT Chief Commissioner for immediate implementation and field circulation.
Navigating Police Procedures
For citizens registering FIRs or interacting with police procedures, statements provided to law enforcement should omit caste or conversion identifiers. If officers include non-compliant or unreasoned entries in official records, affected individuals can report these instances to senior police management or relevant judicial forums.