How to Get an FIR Registered in Sindh When Police Refuse

If a police station in Sindh will not register your FIR, complain to the IGP Sindh complaint cell on 1715 by call or SMS, or online at igpcms.sindhpolice.gov.pk. If that fails, a lawyer can apply to the Sessions Judge, acting as Justice of the Peace, under section 22-A(6) of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The judge can direct the police to register the case.

The law is clear on the first point. Section 154 of the Code says that information about a cognizable offence, such as theft, robbery, assault or kidnapping, must be written down by the officer in charge of the police station. It is not a favour.

We opened the Sindh Police IGP Complaint Management System on 3 October 2026, read its FAQ and its Urdu complaint guide, and read sections 154, 22-A, 25 and 200 of the Code in the official copy on the Pakistan Code. We did not file a complaint.

What the law says the police must do

For a cognizable offence, the officer in charge must write down your information, read it back to you, have you sign it and enter it in the station's register. That record is the First Information Report. Cognizable means police can arrest without a warrant.

Two things follow. You can give your information in writing, and the police must still register it. And you should read the FIR before signing. If it leaves out what you said, say so then.

For a non-cognizable offence, section 155 is different. The officer enters the substance in a book and sends you to a Magistrate. So a refusal is not always wrong. Ask the officer to tell you which section he thinks applies.

Women have extra protection. If a woman reports an acid attack, an assault on her modesty, rape or sexual harassment, section 154 says the statement must be recorded with a female police officer or a female family member present. If she is distressed, it can be recorded at her home or a place she chooses.

Five steps when a Sindh police station refuses your FIR

Start at the station with a written complaint, then go up the police chain, then go to court. Each step leaves a record that makes the next one stronger. Most cases do not need all five, but you should know the whole route.

1. Give a written complaint at the station. Write the facts, date, place and names. Ask for a receiving stamp or note the date and officer's name.
2. Go to the district SSP. Take the same complaint to the senior superintendent's office for your district and ask them to direct the station.
3. Complain to the IGP Sindh cell. Call or SMS 1715, or file at igpcms.sindhpolice.gov.pk. Keep the reference number.
4. Apply under section 22-A(6). Through a lawyer, apply to the Sessions Judge or a nominated Additional Sessions Judge as ex-officio Justice of the Peace.
5. File a private complaint. If needed, file a complaint directly with a Magistrate under section 200.

In an emergency, call 15 first. An FIR can wait a few hours. Your safety cannot. If someone is missing, follow the steps to report a missing person at once.

How to use the IGP Sindh complaint cell

The IGP Complaint Management System is Sindh Police's own complaint channel. You can file online, call or SMS 1715, send a WhatsApp message, email, or post a letter to the Central Police Office in Karachi. The FAQ says it is free and gives a reference number to track.

These are the channels we found on Sindh Police's own pages on 3 October 2026:

• Online: igpcms.sindhpolice.gov.pk, with "Register Complaint" and "Track" buttons. The FAQ says you create an account first.
• Helpline: 1715, by call or SMS, from the portal's complaint guide.
• WhatsApp: 0314-1088831, linked from the portal's home page. The FAQ prints this number with a digit missing, so use the one from the WhatsApp link.
• Email: aigcomplaints.cpo@sindhpolice.gov.pk.
• In person or by post: Central Police Office, I.I. Chundrigar Road, Karachi.

The FAQ lists corruption, performance and misconduct as complaint types. Refusing to register an FIR is a performance and conduct issue. Name the station, the date, the officer if you know them, and attach your written complaint. You can ask for confidentiality, the FAQ says.

The FAQ does not give a fixed deadline. It says you get an acknowledgement with an estimated timeframe. If nothing happens in a reasonable time, do not wait for months. Move to the court step.

Ask the Justice of the Peace to order the FIR

Section 22-A(6) lets an ex-officio Justice of the Peace give directions to police on a complaint about non-registration of a criminal case. Under section 25, the Sessions Judge and the Additional Sessions Judges nominated by him are ex-officio Justices of the Peace for the whole district.

In practice this is a short application filed at the district courts, usually by a lawyer. Attach your written complaint to the station, any reply, and your IGP complaint reference number. Those papers show the court you tried the police first.

The same section also covers two other problems. You can ask the Justice of the Peace to transfer an investigation to another officer, or to act on police neglect, failure or excess. So it is useful after the FIR too.

If money is the obstacle, the District Legal Empowerment Committee at your District and Sessions Judge's office can pay for a lawyer. Before you pay anyone, verify the lawyer's licence with the bar council.

After the FIR is registered

Once the FIR is written, get its number, the police station name and the date. Keep a copy. Your FIR number is what you will need for every later step, from court dates to insurance and vehicle claims.

Sindh Police does not offer a public search of FIRs by CNIC. We found that when we compared how to check an FIR online in each province. So ask for your copy at the station on the day.

If the FIR is about a stolen vehicle, the separate steps to report a stolen car matter for the Excise record and your insurer. If you are the one named in an FIR, read up on your rights when arrested before you go to the station.

Common questions

Can Sindh police refuse to register an FIR?

Not for a cognizable offence. Section 154 says the officer in charge must write it down and register it. For a non-cognizable offence, they enter it and send you to a Magistrate.

What is the IGP Sindh complaint number?

1715, by call or SMS, according to the IGP Complaint Management System's own guide. You can also complain online at igpcms.sindhpolice.gov.pk.

Who is the Justice of the Peace in Sindh?

Under section 25 of the Code, the Sessions Judge, and Additional Sessions Judges nominated by him, are ex-officio Justices of the Peace for the district.

Do I need a lawyer for a 22-A application?

It is not strictly required, but most people use one. If you cannot pay, apply to the District Legal Empowerment Committee at the District and Sessions Judge's office.

Is it free to complain to the IGP Sindh?

Yes. The Complaint Management System FAQ says filing a complaint is free of charge.

Can a woman ask for a female officer when reporting?

Yes. For rape, acid attack, assault on modesty or harassment, section 154 requires a female officer or female family member to be present, or recording at her home if she is distressed.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 3 October 2026. The duty to register a cognizable case, the rule for women complainants, the non-cognizable route, the Justice of the Peace's power over non-registration, who the ex-officio Justices of the Peace are, and the private complaint route are read in sections 154, 155, 22-A, 25 and 200 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 on the Pakistan Code. The 1715 helpline, WhatsApp number, email address, online filing, tracking, free filing and complaint types are read on the IGP Sindh Complaint Management System, its FAQ page and its PDF guide. The Central Police Office address is read on Sindh Police's contact page. We did not file a complaint or a 22-A application.