Islamabad High Court bars FIR mention in character certificates after acquittal

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has ruled that police cannot mention an FIR in the character certificate of a citizen who has been acquitted in the case, declaring any such certificate unlawful and invalid. Justice Ayyaz Shaukat, while deciding a public interest petition, directed the Inspector General of Police, Islamabad, to establish a formal mechanism to ensure that references to criminal cases ending in acquittal are not included in character certificates issued to citizens. The court observed that citizens should not be compelled to approach courts to exercise rights already…