LAHORE (Muhammad Ashfaq) – Justice Ahmad Nadeem Arshad of the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Tuesday issued a major verdict regarding the verification of signatures. The court annulled the lower court’s decisions that relied on manual comparison of signatures and ordered a forensic examination of the deceased’s signatures and thumb impressions by the Forensic Science Laboratory.
Justice Arshad released a detailed 10-page judgment on petitions filed by Muhammad Suleman and others.
In the verdict, the court emphasised that courts should adopt modern scientific and forensic methods, stating that forensic evidence is crucial in determining the authenticity of documents. The comparison of thumb impressions, it noted, is considered highly reliable evidence.
The judgment further observed that no two individuals in the world have identical thumbprints, and that modern forensic technology plays a vital role in ensuring justice. Courts, therefore, should not hesitate to seek expert forensic opinions.
Justice Arshad added that expert assistance is essential for comparing signatures, handwriting, and thumb impressions. While courts are not bound by expert opinions, such input facilitates fair judgment, and ignoring scientific evidence goes against the principles of justice.
The LHC set aside the lower courts’ decisions dated February 12 and June 30, 2025, and directed that the deceased’s signatures and thumb impressions be examined by the Forensic Science Laboratory.
It is worth mentioning that the petitioners had requested a forensic comparison of the late Muhammad Khalid’s signatures and thumbprints, contending that the sale agreement of a four-marla plot was fake and that the deceased had not signed the document.