ISLAMABAD: The Senate Functional Committee on Problems of Less Developed Areas has directed the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) to fix the duration of its investigation into blocked CNICs and devise a strategy to provide interim relief to the 180,000 people inconvenienced by blocked identity cards.

However, Nadra has proposed that the CNICs can be unblocked if senators and members of the national and provincial assemblies give guarantees that the suspects are Pakistani.

The committee members also alleged that Nadra had double standards for Pakhtun Pakistanis, an allegation denied by a Nadra representative who claimed there was a uniform policy for all Pakistanis.

Briefing the committee, Nadra Director General (Operations) retired Brig Nisar Mir said around 200,000 CNICs were blocked before the re-verification of cards began. After re-verification began almost four months ago, the number of blocked CNICs rose to 270,000.

“Out of those blocked cards, 96,579 cardholders have been confirmed as foreigners, and we have started the process to cancel the cards. Although there is no time limit for the verification of cards, we send reminders to intelligence agencies from time to time for the early completion of inquiries.”

“However, it should not be ignored that it becomes a matter of embarrassment if a foreigner travels or uses Pakistani documents,” he added.

The committee’s chairman, Senator Usman Khan Kakar said there have been cases of people’s CNIC’s being blocked for five years.

“These people cannot open bank accounts, they cannot travel abroad and they cannot even admit their children to government schools as B-Forms are not issued to their children. Why do those people have to stay at home for years waiting for verification,” he asked.

He alleged that 98pc of blocked CNICs belong to Pakhtuns, and there is a double standard for Pakhtun Pakistanis who have to give evidence that they were living in Pakistan before 1974. He said in some cases they were even demanded for proof that they were living in areas that would become Pakistan before 1947.

“We condemn that India has introduced the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act in occupied Kashmir, but here a double policy has been introduced for Pakhtuns. We don’t want to support any foreigner, but Pakistanis should not suffer because of Nadra policies,” he said.

“It is a fact that terrorists like Ramzi Yousef [involved in the World Trade Centre bombing], Malik Rigi [Jundullah leader] and Wali Mohammad [Taliban leader] got CNICs from Quetta, which shows that Nadra employees have been issuing fake cards and the people of Pakistan have been suffering for it.”

However, Mr Mir denied that Nadra had double standards and said in the case of Wali Mohammad, a councillor had verified the card.

“There are over 100 million CNICs, out of which only 180,000 are blocked and being verified. Moreover, CNICs have been blocked all over the country and the majority of them are Afghans,” he said.

Senator Azam Khan Musakhel said Afghan nationals have CNICs because in the past, efforts were made to make Afghanistan a fifth province of Pakistan.

Senator Gianchand suggested that people suffering due to blocked CNICs should be provided interim relief, and there should be a time limit for the verification of cards, which the committee included in its recommendations.

After the meeting, Mr Mir told Dawn that it was proposed that a card would be unblocked if senators, MNAs and MPAs gave recommendations to unblock a card belonging to an individual, after getting a thumb impression or affidavit from parliamentarians.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2016