The Supreme Court on Thursday issued directives to chairman National Database and Registration Authority to submit details by two weeks pertaining to the Nadra centres abroad and the fee being charged from the applicants for issuance of identity cards.
Resuming the hearing of a suo motu notice taken in response to an overseas Pakistani's application over exorbitant fee for issuance and cancellation of Pakistan Origin Card (POC), a three-judge bench led by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar observed that the Authority should give monetary concessions to Pakistani migrants while issuing identity cards. An overseas Pakistani has filed a complaint in the apex court that NADRA had increased issuance fee for a POC to Rs 22,000, and the cancellation fee to Rs 31,500.
The apex court has also been informed that public relation department of the Authority was misleading the applicants that POC cannot be issued from the Nadra headquarter due to shortage of special paper.
In pursuance of the court's earlier directives in the matter, Chairman Nadra Usman Yusuf submitted a report informing that overseas Pakistanis are issued National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (Nicop) which is for those people who live in foreign countries for employment purposes but have kept their Pakistani nationality. He further said those Pakistanis who intend to want to visit the country need not apply for a visa if they possess a Nicop.
Moreover, he informed that the POC is for people living in foreign countries who have given up their Pakistani nationality or for foreigners who have blood relatives who are/were Pakistani nationals. Responding to query of a member of the bench Justice Ijazul Hassan that as to why a POC is mandatory in the presence of the identity card and passport, Chairman Nadra said that in various countries the passport is not catered as an identity card. He submitted that the POC has passport-like features which can be used when a person does not have his/her passport with himself/herself.
The bench observed that as to why Nadra charges high fee from the overseas Pakistanis who are source of remittances whereas Pakistanis residing in the country are charged comparatively less amount for issuance of CNIC. Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar observed that Nadra is a non-profit institution so it is the right of every Pakistani to be issued an identity card.
Responding to the Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar's query whether the children who are born in foreign countries to parents who have been living in those countries for a long time will be considered as Pakistani citizens, Chairman Nadra submitted that it is mandatory for such parents to get their children registered with Pakistan consulate in the concerned country. Later, hearing of the matter was adjourned for indefinite period.
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