HUMAN nature is such that things received after a long wait or a person seen after a long time, give you inexpressible joy.
Some time back I experienced this very same joy as I also found myself included in the slowly growing list of people who have received their computerized National ID cards.
I had submitted applications of my six family members early in June 2001 and was assured that the computerised cards would be delivered to me at my door, latest by the second week of August 2001. However, as all things Pakistani the stipulated time period came and went as I lost all hopes of receiving the cards. People were receiving back their rejected applications for corrections. But as none of my family members had received back his or her rejected form, I hoped against hope that our cards would come one day. I did not lose my heart. It was delivered on January 28.
I do not know how the news got out, as some of the neighbours came over and started congratulating me on having received my computerised card. They also wanted to see how the card looked like, felt like, as they had read and heard so much about the computerized cards in the newspapers and on TV. Now, the inquisitive neighbours invaded me with dozens of questions such as, when had I applied for my card? Has it come within the stipulated period? Did I have any relative, or knew anyone in the higher echelon of NADRA? And why did their cards not come despite of the passage of the given date?
Some people are so God gifted that they can always find fault, however good a thing be or bad. One such nit-wit, who was also present among the visitors, started criticizing the size of the card by saying that it was smaller than the earlier manual card. The photo on my new computerized card was rather ‘blurred’, thumb impression was a mere ‘blotch’ of black ink and my signature was not clear. How would it be tallied, if ever needed? Moreover, it was publicised that the new computerized card would also indicate one’s ‘blood group’, but it did not appear on my newly received card. When I went through the card again with the aid of my reading glasses, the fellow was right. The card was really a bit smaller and there was no sign of the ‘blood group’. I consoled the visitor by saying that they perhaps changed their mind and decided not to include the ‘blood group’ section.
I had hardly finished satisfying the nit-wit when another person pointed out that the card indicated the issue and expiry dates. In my case, the much-awaited card would expire after a period of eight years, if I survived. The old-manual cards were as good as they were issued once for all and did not need to be renewed at any stage. Another visitor consoled me that what was important was that I had received my card, which others had not. This made me feel a bit big. I pocketed all the objections with a smile.
But the enquiries did not stop there. Another neighbour asked me to lend the card for about half an hour so that he could show it to his sick father who was about 80 and was confined to bed. He told me that his father had great desire to see the card in his life time. Rudely, I said ‘NO Sir’. I have received the card after a very mortifying wait therefore I cannot allow the card to be out of sight even for a split second. If this keeps going from one hand to another, who knows, where it may get lost on its journey. I could see that my neighbour was not happy at my refusal. However I assured him that he should not be dejected. When mine has come like a bolt from the blue, rest assured his card too would also come sooner than later. I asked him and other friends to contact NADRA, if they were not satisfied with my assurance.
On my part, I still carry my manual card in my wallet and the new computerized card is kept safe at home. I do not want to lose it for people in our country are not very particular about returning lost items. If people find something somewhere accidentally lying on the road, very few would bother to try and find out the real owner. Let us be more particular about it, as courtesy costs us nothing.
HUMAN nature is such that things received after a long wait or a person seen after a long time, give you inexpressible joy.
