What happened
According to Dawn, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ruled that police are barred from mentioning First Information Reports (FIRs) in the character certificates of citizens who have been acquitted in criminal cases. Deciding on a public interest petition, Justice Ayyaz Shaukat declared any character certificate containing such details unlawful and legally invalid.
As part of the ruling, the court explicitly ordered the removal of an FIR registered at the Shalimar Police Station from the petitioner's character certificate. The judge also rejected the police department's characterization that the petitioner was merely "discharged" during the investigation, stating that such terminology diminishes the legal weight of an acquittal.
Key facts
- Justice Ayyaz Shaukat directed the Inspector General of Police, Islamabad, to create a formal procedure to ensure that cases ending in acquittal are omitted from character certificates.
- The court clarified that while law enforcement may keep internal records of criminal cases for official administrative purposes, these details cannot be included in certificates issued to citizens, particularly those needed for foreign travel.
- The ruling determined that listing an FIR despite a final acquittal breaches Articles 4, 9, 14, and 15 of the Constitution, which guarantee individual rights, liberty, dignity, and freedom of movement.
- The court stressed that citizens should not be forced to file new lawsuits just to obtain character certificates that accurately show their clear legal status.
- Full administrative details of the new police mechanism were not specified in the source; please check the official notice.
Why it matters
According to Dawn, the decision establishes that police have no legal foundation to present an acquitted individual as an accused person or criminal. The court emphasized that individuals cleared through due legal process must not endure ongoing negative consequences or constitutional violations caused by police documentation.
Source: Dawn - Home · Published November 01, 2026 · Photo by Shujaat Muzaffar on Unsplash
