{"id":143,"date":"2026-01-18T17:58:16","date_gmt":"2026-01-18T17:58:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lawtics.com\/?p=143"},"modified":"2026-01-18T18:05:25","modified_gmt":"2026-01-18T18:05:25","slug":"difference-between-fir-and-complaint-under-criminal-procedure-code","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lawtics.com\/?p=143","title":{"rendered":"Difference Between FIR and Complaint under Criminal Procedure Code"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Introduction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In Pakistan\u2019s criminal justice system, the terms First Information Report (FIR)<\/em> and Complaint<\/em> are often used interchangeably by laypersons, yet legally they represent two distinct procedural mechanisms. For law students, a clear understanding of this distinction is crucial not only for examinations but also for moot courts, internships, and litigation practice. This article examines FIR and Complaint strictly under the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (Pakistan) and explains their evidentiary relevance under the Qanun-e-Shahadat Order, 1984.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

First Information Report (FIR): Meaning and Scope<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The term First Information Report<\/em> is not expressly defined in the CrPC, but its statutory basis lies in Section 154 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An FIR is the information relating to the commission of a cognizable offence, given to the officer-in-charge of a police station, which sets the criminal law into motion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Essential Ingredients of an FIR<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
    \n
  1. Information relating to the commission of an offence<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. The offence must be cognizable<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Information must be given to a police officer<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. It may be given orally or in writing<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. It must be reduced into writing and signed by the informant<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Once an FIR is registered, the police acquire statutory authority to investigate the matter under Section 156 CrPC<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Complaint: Meaning and Legal Framework<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

    A Complaint is defined under Section 4(1)(h) of the CrPC, 1898 (Pakistan) as:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n

    \u201cAn allegation made orally or in writing to a Magistrate, with a view to his taking action under this Code, that some person has committed an offence, but does not include a police report.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    Key Characteristics of a Complaint<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
      \n
    • Made directly to a Magistrate<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • May relate to cognizable or non-cognizable offences<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • No prescribed format<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Magistrate may:\n
        \n
      • Take cognizance under Section 190 CrPC<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Examine complainant under Section 200 CrPC<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Order police investigation under Section 156(3) CrPC<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Dismiss the complaint under Section 203 CrPC<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

        A complaint becomes particularly important when:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        • Police refuse to register an FIR<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • The offence is non-cognizable<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        • Judicial oversight is required at the initial stage<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

          FIR vs Complaint: Statutory Comparison<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
          Basis<\/strong><\/td>FIR<\/strong><\/td>Complaint<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
          Governing Provision<\/td>Section 154 CrPC<\/td>Section 4(1)(h), 200 CrPC<\/td><\/tr>
          Filed Before<\/td>Police<\/td>Magistrate<\/td><\/tr>
          Nature of Offence<\/td>Cognizable only<\/td>Cognizable & Non-cognizable<\/td><\/tr>
          Investigation<\/td>Automatic<\/td>Only by Magistrate\u2019s order<\/td><\/tr>
          Cognizance<\/td>On police report<\/td>Directly by Magistrate<\/td><\/tr>
          Withdrawal<\/td>Not permissible by informant<\/td>Permissible with court approval<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

          <\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Evidentiary Value under Qanun-e-Shahadat Order, 1984<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

          An FIR is not substantive evidence<\/strong>. Its evidentiary use is governed by the Qanun-e-Shahadat Order, 1984:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

            \n
          • Article 153 QSO<\/strong> \u2013 FIR may be used to corroborate its maker<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Article 140 QSO<\/strong> \u2013 FIR may be used to contradict its maker<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • Article 46 QSO<\/strong> \u2013 FIR may become relevant as part of the same transaction<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          • FIR alone cannot be the basis of conviction<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

            Role of Magistrate in Complaint Cases<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

            The Magistrate plays a central judicial role in complaint proceedings. Upon receiving a complaint, the Magistrate may:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              \n
            1. Examine the complainant and witnesses (Section 200 CrPC<\/strong>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            2. Postpone process and order inquiry or investigation (Section 202 CrPC<\/strong>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            3. Order registration of FIR under Section 156(3) CrPC<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
            4. Dismiss the complaint if no prima facie case exists<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

              This ensures judicial supervision where police intervention is either unavailable or inappropriate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Practical Illustrations<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

              Illustration 1: FIR<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

              A person witnesses an armed robbery involving violence. Since the offence is cognizable, the proper legal course is to approach the police station and lodge an FIR under Section 154 CrPC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Illustration 2: Complaint<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

              A person alleges criminal defamation or police refuse to register an FIR despite disclosure of a cognizable offence. The aggrieved party may file a complaint before the Magistrate under Section 200 CrPC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

              While both FIR and Complaint initiate criminal proceedings, they operate through fundamentally different legal routes. An FIR activates the police machinery, whereas a complaint invokes judicial scrutiny at the very outset. A sound understanding of this distinction grounded in Pakistan\u2019s CrPC and Qanun-e-Shahadat is indispensable for every law student and aspiring legal professional.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

              Introduction In Pakistan\u2019s criminal justice system, the terms First Information Report (FIR) and Complaint are often used interchangeably by laypersons, yet legally they represent two distinct procedural mechanisms. For law students, a clear understanding of this distinction is crucial not only for examinations but also for moot courts, internships, and litigation practice. This article examines […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[25,22,21,24,23],"class_list":["post-143","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-criminal-law","tag-criminal-law-notes-for-llb-students-pakistan","tag-criminal-procedure-code-1898-explained","tag-fir-vs-complaint-under-crpc-pakistan","tag-qanun-e-shahadat-fir-evidence-value","tag-section-154-crpc-pakistan-fir"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawtics.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawtics.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawtics.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawtics.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawtics.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=143"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/lawtics.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":147,"href":"https:\/\/lawtics.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/143\/revisions\/147"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lawtics.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=143"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawtics.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=143"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lawtics.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=143"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}