The court said a Station House Officer (SHO) is a public servant, not a superior authority to be served. It ruled that complaints should simply address officers as “Janab SHO”, ending the use of old and submissive language.

The apex court also clarified changes in legal terms used in police cases. It said the person who registers a First Information Report (FIR) will now be called an “informant” instead of a “complainant”, except in private criminal cases.

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In private cases, the term “complainant” will continue to be used. For all other cases, police records must follow the new wording.

The Supreme Court further banned the word “fryadi” from police documents. The court observed that the term suggests begging for justice, which goes against the idea of citizens claiming their legal rights.

The court warned police officers against delaying the registration of FIRs. It noted that delays can damage investigations by allowing important evidence to disappear.

Police officers were cautioned that delaying FIRs could result in legal action under Section 201 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).

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The judgment was written by Justice Salahuddin Panwhar after legal points were raised by Judicial Law Clerk Muhammad Subhan Malik. The court stressed the need to reform police and citizen relations and called for a more professional and rights-based approach.