Arrest warrant issued for NADRA official over non-issuance of CNIC to father of 11

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday issued a bailable arrest warrant for National Database and Registration Authority’s (NADRA)  Assistant Director of Verification over the non-issuance of a Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) to a Karachi resident, ARY News reported.

Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro presided over the hearing on a father of 11 children, Maulana Abdul Bashar’s petition filed against NADRA.

During the proceedings, the court strongly reprimanded NADRA officials for their inaction and questioned why the CNIC had not been issued despite the applicant submitting all required documents.

“The applicant has been going round in circles since 2004. If all the documents are available, then why hasn’t the identity card been issued?” asked Justice Kalhoro. “Has NADRA established a monarchy? Are you running your own court? It seems like you have created a state within a state.”

Justice Kalhoro noted that NADRA had already issued birth certificates for all 11 of the petitioner’s children, questioning NADRA’s failure to process the father’s CNIC application. “Nowhere in NADRA’s response is it stated that the documents are fake,” he noted.

Petitioner Maulana Abdul Bashar told the court that he had been visiting NADRA offices since 2004 but to no avail. “Because I don’t have a CNIC, my children are being denied school admissions. Their education is suffering,” he lamented.

The Sindh High Court adjourned the hearing for one week.