A parliamentary panel on Thursday recommended National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to adopt a uniform policy with respect to blocking, verification and issuance of CNICs across the country, besides finding a solution to blocked 269,607 CNICs immediately.
Senator Muhammad Usman Khan Kakar while presiding over a meeting of Functional Committee on Problems of Less Developed Areas said that Nadar has framed policy for Pashtuns especially in Balochistan regarding issuance and verification of CNICs. "Out of the total 269,607 CNICs blocked by the authority, 98 percent CNICs are owned by Pashtuns," he said.
He said that CNICs of many citizens were blocked by Nadra for the last five to six years due to which they were unable to travel abroad, open account and admit their children in schools.
"Blocking of CNICs of true Pakistanis for such a long time is a clear violation of human rights," he said. He further said that Nadra has issued CNICs to Yousuf Ramzi, Malik Rigi and Wali Muhammad in Quetta. Nadra need to take action against its own employees who are involved in issuance of CNICs to foreigners instead of blocking CNCIs of genuine Pakistanis, he said.
Brigadier Nasar Ahmad Mir (Retd) Director General (DG) Nadra said that the authority has no separate policy for Pashtuns and Baloch and it was a wrong perception. He said Nadra has so far blocked a total of 269,607 CNICs, of which 106,145 are confirmed aliens and 163,462 CNICs blocked by the authority are under verification.
"Nadra follows a defined procedure for blocking a CNIC and a legal Notice is served on the individual under Section 23 of Nadra Ordinance. In case he/she fails to appear before the verification board formed by the authority, his/her CNIC is blocked," he said. He further said that NADRA board has ordered the authority to frame a program in consultation with verifying agencies for unblocking of blocked CNICs.
"We are working on a plan which will be finalised within 15 days, under which, blocked CNICs will be unblocked after verification by parliamentarians of the concerned area," he said. Kakar said that MPAs, district nazims, chairmen village councils, should also be authorized to verify the identity of the applicants to resolve the issue of blocked CNICs.
DG Nadra said that the authority has issued notices to confirmed aliens and started cancellation of their CNICs. About initiatives taken in FATA by the authority, he said that Nadra has always given due importance to citizens registration. However, due to military operation in Fata, Nadra is facing some hardships to undertake its job in the tribal areas.
Nadra has taken disciplinary action against 756 employees who were found involved in issuance of fake CNICs, he said. The committee took serious notice of the absence of federal Interior Minister, secretary interior and chairman Nadra in committee meeting.