Lahore High Court Orders Removal of Acquitted/Disposed Cases from Police Character Certificates

Case Reference: Abdul Rehman Faryad vs. Government of the Punjab & others
Writ Petition No. 40844/2025 – Decided on 18 July 2025
Citation: 2025 LHC 5162

The Lahore High Court has delivered a significant ruling aimed at protecting the dignity and rights of citizens who have been cleared of criminal allegations. In Abdul Rehman Faryad vs. Government of the Punjab, the Court directed that police character certificates must not display details of cases in which the applicant has been acquitted or where proceedings have been formally dropped.

Background of the Case

The petitioner approached the Court seeking the removal of an FIR reference from his police character certificate. Despite being acquitted by a competent court, the case number continued to appear in the certificate, effectively linking his name with a past criminal allegation.

Court’s Observations

Justice of the Lahore High Court emphasized:

• Once an accused is acquitted through a final judgment, the law treats them as completely absolved of the allegations.

• Continuing to mention an acquitted case in an official document — such as a police character certificate — is unwarranted and unlawful.

• Such practice violates Article 14 of the Constitution of Pakistan, which guarantees the right to human dignity.

• It perpetuates an unjust stigma, undermining the presumption of innocence and the fairness of the judicial process.

The Court noted that when an acquittal attains finality, any action by public authorities that keeps associating the individual with the previous criminal accusation is not only unfair but also contradicts the principles of justice and rehabilitation.

Final Direction

The Court ordered the issuance of a clean police character certificate for the petitioner, reflecting:

• His acquittal

• The absence of any pending or subsisting criminal liability

Why This Decision Matters

This judgment is a milestone for safeguarding the reputation and dignity of acquitted persons in Pakistan. By removing unnecessary references to cleared charges, it helps prevent social and professional discrimination. It also sends a clear message to law enforcement agencies to align their practices with constitutional protections.