07/10/2025
2025 C L C 1435
[Islamabad]
Before Muhammad Asif, J
MUHAMMAD QADIR and another ---Petitioners
Versus
NATIONAL DATABASE AND REGISTRATION AUTHORITY (NADRA) and 2 others ---Respondents
W. Ps. Nos. 3627 and 3906 of 2023, decided on 10th April, 2025.
National Database and Registration Authority Ordinance (VIII of 2000) ---
----Ss. 14 & 18---NADRA's jurisdiction to impound, cancel or confiscate Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs)---Scope---Digital impounding of CNICs owing to Afghan national status---Failure to verify the national status---Afghan refugees in Pakistan and their claim to Pakistani citizenship based on unverifiable documentation---The petitioners (having Afghan national status) filed constitutional petitions under Art. 199 of the Constitution against the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), challenging the unlawful digital impounding and blocking of their CNICs---Petitioners claimed that NADRA acted without lawful authority and failed to provide any just cause for the blockage---NADRA defended its actions by stating that petitioners failed to verify their nationality status as per the Ministry of Interior's notification dated 19.04.2017, leading to doubt about their citizenship, particularly due to Afghan heritage---Held: NADRA Ordinance, 2000 grants power to NADRA regarding issuance of Pakistan Origin Cards, Overseas Identity Cards and Alien Registration Cards, subject to conditions prescribed in the relevant provisions thereof---Importantly, Section 18 of the NADRA Ordinance, 2000 deals with the power to cancel, impound or confiscate cards issued thereunder---It provides that a card issued under the NADRA Ordinance, 2000 shall be the property of the Federal Government and may, by an order in writing under the seal of NADRA or an officer authorized by it in this behalf, be required to be returned and shall also be liable to be cancelled, impounded or confiscated by like order if there is reason to believe that the card has been obtained by a person not eligible to hold the same by posing himself as eligible; or more than one card has been obtained by the same person on the same eligibility criteria; or the particulars shown on the card have been obliterated or tampered with; or the card is forged---Said provision of NADRA Ordinance, 2000 also provides for a right of appeal to the Federal Government, with the provision of the right of hearing to the aggrieved person---Rights qua entitlement to CNIC is the subject matter of the NADRA Ordinance, 2000---The Federal Government, representing the State itself or through its instrumentalities created under the law is vested with the powers to regulate such rights and in the event of an adverse order, the aggrieved person is conferred the right to challenge the same by way of an appeal, revision or review, as the case may be---The NADRA Ordinance, 2000 provides self-contained mechanisms regarding all issues of CNICs and for this purpose, NADRA Zonal Verification Boards and the DLC (District Level Committee) are created to facilitate and streamline the verification process for various NADRA services, particularly those related to identity verification and CNIC issuance or renewal---These bodies play a crucial role in verifying the accuracy of information, reducing forgery, and ensuring the integrity of the national database---High Court directed that the petitioners to appear before the aforesaid forums which were directed to decide the cases of the petitioners within a month, after affording them opportunity of personal hearing ---In case of any adverse order, the aggrieved person(s) could file an appeal before the Federal Government within the purview of S. 18(3) of the NADRA Ordinance, 2000---Constitutional petitions were disposed of, in circumstances.
