POLICING, LAW, AND JUSTICE: A CRIMINOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF MURDER AND RIOTING THROUGH A FAISALABAD FIR CASE STUDY

This study explores the intersection of law, policing, and justice by analyzing the legal dimensions of murder and rioting in Pakistan through a qualitative case study of a First Information Report (FIR) registered in Faisalabad. It addresses three key questions: (1) How does the FIR frame the charges of murder and rioting? (2) What legal provisions of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) are invoked? and (3) What procedural and legal challenges emerge during investigation and prosecution? Despite extensive doctrinal work on murder and rioting offences, a significant gap exists in Pakistani criminological literature connecting statutory provisions with field-level practices, including FIR drafting, police investigation, forensic limitations, and witness protection deficits. To bridge this gap, the study employs a combined doctrinal and document-analysis approach, integrating statutory law, judicial precedents, and secondary literature with the examined FIR. Thematic coding identifies how the charges are framed, comparative analysis evaluates congruence with statutory and judicial standards, and doctrinal interpretation examines whether laws are properly applied or misused. Findings reveal that the FIR correctly invokes Sections 302, 148, and 149 of the PPC, establishing both individual and collective liability; however, difficulties persist in proving collective intent and distinguishing the roles of accused persons. While overall legal alignment is observed, investigative shortcomings—particularly in forensic application and evidence collection—undermine procedural justice. The study concludes that ensuring prosecutorial effectiveness and fairness in complex group-violence cases requires not only doctrinal clarity but also strengthening police investigative capacity, evidentiary rigor, and witness protection systems to enhance justice outcomes within Pakistan’s criminal justice framework.