The Lahore High Court (LHC) here Thursday called report from federal government, local government Punjab, National Database and Registration Authority(Nadra) and all boards of intermediate and secondary education by May 20 again in a petition challenging power of Nadra to charge fee for providing services to citizens like issuance of Form-B, national identity cards and birth certificates.
On Thursday a law officer told the court that none of the respondents had filed their replies. The petitioner Chairman Judicial Activism Panel (JAP) Muhammad Azhar Siddiqui advocate argued that Nadra was established under the National Database and Registration Authority Ordinance, 2000 with a view to improve and modernise database system and minimise the scope of corruption.
He said Nadra was charging fee for issuance of Origin Card, National Identity Card, registration of births, deaths, marriages and deaths and registration of minors in Form B. He said getting of these cards was fundamental right of every citizen. He said no notifications regarding charge of fee for issuance of these cards had been either prescribed or made public.
Such extortion of money on any count from public at large is illegal and unconstitutional. The petitioner said as per information Rs 500 is being charged for new Card of any type; Rs 1000 as urgent fee; Rs 500 for registration births, etc, and Rs 100/500 for registration in Form B. The petitioner pointed out that ID cards issued to lots of citizens stood expired after a lapse of five to six years and Nadra authorities were also collecting fees for them to issue new ID cards.
He said this act of Nadra was also against the fundamental rights as the ID cards once issued should not be withdrawn or expired. He said every government had the right to collect the taxes for the purposes of providing better services and facilities to the citizens, but this can only be done with backing of law supported and strengthen by the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973. He said levy of fee on services could be sustainable only when equal services are rendered to the persons paying the registration fee. He therefore prayed to the court that NDRA be stopped from charging fees on all services being provided to the citizens.