Court rules in favour of elderly woman denied CNIC by NADRA

KARACHI: The district and sessions court has ruled in favour of an elderly woman who is struggling to get computerised national identity card (CNIC) by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) for the last three years, ARY News reported on Friday.

The officials of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) had rejected to accept the 57-year-old woman a national despite her whole family belongs to Pakistan.

The elderly woman Ms Rubi Begum, whose husband Nawab Ali had died in 2014, struggles for getting her CNIC by Nadra officials for three years who denied to issue her identity card despite the provision of relevant documents.

Rubi Begum moved to the local court after being denied CNIC by NADRA. After listening to the arguments, the local court directed NADRA to issue a national identity card to the elderly woman.

Her lawyer said that NADRA in its response argued for not getting any records regarding Ruby Begum in database. He added that the general attitude of NADRA authorities towards citizens is upsetting. The lawyer said that the woman had provided relevant documents of her deceased husband and identity cards of her children.

It emerged that a local court had earlier in September 2019 issued order to NADRA for the issuance of CNIC to the woman, however, the concerned authorities had not complied the court directions so far.

The lady told ARY News that she lost her job due to non-issuance of national identity card and now she is working as a maid in houses for livelihood and to support her children.

Ms Ruby Begum’s lawyer said a contempt of court action will be taken if NADRA authorities fail to issue CNIC to the woman in compliance with the court directions.