Claims extracted
12
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
17%
2 of 12 hedged
("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
Leans left
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
Publisher signals
72/100
Dawn's corrections and
hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
1
Politics
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
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.
asserted
certificate → rule → case
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.
asserted
references → decide → citizens
The court observed that citizens should not be compelled to approach courts to exercise rights already guaranteed under the law.
asserted
citizens → observe → law
It held that following an acquittal, there was no legal justification for portraying an individual as an accused or criminal through a police-issued character certificate.
asserted
It → hold → certificate
Rules such mention violates constitutional rights, including dignity and freedom of movement
Allowing the petition, the court ordered the removal of a reference to an FIR registered at Shalimar Police Station from the petitioner’s character certificate.
asserted
court → violate → certificate
The judgement clarified that although police could maintain internal records of criminal cases for official purposes, such information could not be disclosed in character certificates issued to citizens, particularly when these were required for travelling abroad.
uncertain
these → clarify → citizens
It further observed that there was no legal basis for mentioning an FIR in a character certificate after the proceedings had culminated in a final acquittal.
asserted
proceedings → observe → acquittal
Any certificate containing such a reference would be legally invalid.
asserted
certificate → contain → reference
Justice Ayyaz Shaukat also rejected the police’s description of the petitioner as having been “discharged” during the investigation, observing that such a characterisation undermined the legal effect and status of the acquittal.
asserted
characterisation → reject → acquittal
The court held that including an FIR in a character certificate despite an individual’s acquittal violated Articles 4, 9, 14 and 15 of the Constitution, which protect citizens’ rights, liberty, dignity and freedom of movement.
asserted
which → hold → movement
It emphasised that a person acquitted through due process of law could not continue to face adverse consequences through a character certificate suggesting involvement in criminal proceedings.
uncertain
person → emphasise → proceedings
The court directed the Islamabad police chief to introduce a proper procedure to ensure that acquitted citizens did not have to initiate fresh litigation merely to obtain character certificates reflecting their actual legal status.
asserted
citizens → direct → status
The Aporia
