October 14, 2007	Sunday	Shawwal 1, 1428

VEHARI, Oct 13: Delay in provision of Computerised National Identity Cards by the National Database Registration Authority is making hundreds of applicants suffer as every time they visit the swift centre a fresh date of delivery is issued to them.

The only swift registration centre on Eidgah Road (in Vehari) remains crowded from dawn to dusk and long queues outside it reveal plight of the people aspiring to get the CNICs.

Many people this correspondent talked to during a visit to the swift centre said the Nadra officials promised to issue the identity cards within 15 days, but actually they had to visit at least 15 times to get the cards. “We have not been given cards even after five to six months”, they complained.

Rubina Shafique, a resident of Chak-5/WB, said she submitted her form (VR00155504) on Aug 4, 2006, but Nadra had not issued her CNIC so far despite her several visits to its swift centre.

Many others said the students and those who had to apply for scholarships and visas bore the brunt of inefficiency on part of the Nadra authorities. Some of them even complained about misbehaviour by the officials, especially when they insisted on getting cards without further delay.

“The security guard at the main gate doesn’t allow anyone to see the swift centre in-charge for registering his or her complaint”.

Muhammad Arshad also had a similar complaint as he said he had been visiting the office for the last two months to get his CNIC, but to no avail. He alleged that the official concerned was demanding bribe for issuing him a card — an allegation many other visitors levelled.

Rana Rafique, another applicant, said he had deposited extra fee to get his identity card on an urgent basis three months ago, but had yet to receive the card as he refused to “grease the palms of the official concerned”.

Every time they visited the office, many of them said, the officials informed them that their documents had been sent to the head office in Islamabad for verification.

Sources told Dawn that hundreds of forms had been lying at the Vehari centre and the staff processed the documents of only those people who offered bribe to them.

The public is also facing difficulties in getting child registration certificates from the Nadra office as, officials said, the computer network developed faults too frequently.

The local Nadra swift registration centre accepts applications for the certificates for two hours in the second shift every Tuesday and Friday as a result of which the people coming from far-off villages to get the certificates face a great deal of inconvenience.

“After waiting for a long time, a visitor is informed that the secured computer network couldn’t transfer data to the headquarters in Islamabad”, said Abdul Hameed, a resident of Pir Murad Town.

The applicants demanded that the higher-ups take stock of the situation and expedite the process of issuing the cards to them.

Sajid Mahmood, an official at the Nadra swift centre, denied the allegations and said delay in provision of CNICs was caused by technical hitches, and not because of the non-cooperation of the staff.