IHC Orders Fresh Post-Mortem in AC Furqan Ahmed Death Case

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ordered a fresh post-mortem examination of late Assistant Commissioner Pattoki Furqan Ahmed, nearly a year after his death, following a prolonged legal battle by his father to determine the exact circumstances and medical cause of his son’s death.

Medical Board to Be Constituted Within 10 Days

Justice Shahrukh Arjumand issued the decision on a petition filed by the deceased officer’s father, directing the district magistrate to constitute a medical board and complete the process within 10 days.

Exhumation to Take Place in Islamabad

Since Furqan Ahmed is buried at Islamabad’s H-8 graveyard, the court held that the exhumation and subsequent medico-legal examination fall within Islamabad’s territorial jurisdiction.

IHC Sets Aside Earlier Administrative Order

According to the judgment details provided, the court also set aside an earlier order of the additional district magistrate, observing that an administrative authority may devise procedures for implementing a judicial direction but cannot effectively sit in appeal over a court order or substitute its own opinion for it.

Conflicting Accounts Emerged After Furqan Ahmed’s Death

Furqan Ahmed died on August 31, 2025, while serving as Assistant Commissioner Pattoki and supervising relief activities in flood-affected areas around Head Balloki. Reports published immediately after his death presented differing accounts of the cause. Some official and media reports described it as cardiac arrest, while another report cited a ruptured cerebral artery. A separate contemporaneous account reported that he was found unconscious in a washroom with a serious head injury and said the precise cause was subject to forensic findings.

Punjab Government Paid Tribute to Late Officer

The Punjab government subsequently paid tribute to Furqan Ahmed for continuing flood-relief duties despite illness and announced a Rs10 million grant for his family along with approval for a civil award.

Court Notes Persistent Questions Over Cause of Death

Against this background, the High Court noted that questions surrounding the actual cause of his death had persisted and that the matter could not simply be treated as an administrative dispute.

Father Spent Nearly a Year Seeking Answers

The court placed particular emphasis on the struggle of Furqan Ahmed’s father, who, according to the judgment details, had spent nearly a year approaching different offices, filing applications, issuing reminders and seeking implementation of previous directions to establish how his son died.

Court Highlights Father’s Pursuit of Truth

The record, the court observed, presented the picture of a grieving father repeatedly knocking at the doors of the state — not in pursuit of any personal or financial benefit, but to ascertain the truth surrounding his son’s death.

Court Rejects Dismissing Father’s Persistence

The court held that such persistence could not be dismissed as unnecessary insistence because the petitioner had continued to pursue remedies available to him under the law.

Time Could Affect Potential Evidence

It further observed that a grieving parent could not reasonably be expected to remain helpless before the state machinery indefinitely while a genuine question concerning the cause of his son’s death remained unresolved.

The passage of time, the court said, made the matter more urgent rather than less significant. Since almost a year has passed since the burial, natural changes to the body could progressively diminish or eliminate potential evidence.

Administrative Delay Cannot Prejudice Investigation

The court consequently reasoned that administrative delay could not be allowed to prejudice the very person seeking an investigation. The state could not first allow a matter to remain pending and later rely on the passage of time and the resulting deterioration of potential evidence as a reason for declining an examination.

Fresh Medico-Legal Examination Ordered

Under the order, the district magistrate has been directed to constitute a medical board and make the necessary arrangements for exhumation and a fresh medico-legal examination. The process is to involve the relevant authorities, while Furqan Ahmed’s father or his representative and the investigating officer from Kasur are also to be associated with the proceedings.

Exercise Must Be Completed Within 10 Days

The exercise is required to be completed within 10 days.

Fresh Examination May Help Resolve Conflicting Accounts

The fresh examination could become crucial in addressing the conflicting accounts that emerged immediately after Furqan Ahmed’s death. However, the precise cause and circumstances of his death remain matters for medico-legal and investigative determination, and the court’s order itself should not be interpreted as establishing wrongdoing by any individual or authority.