ISLAMABAD: Due to sheer negligence of the authorities concerned, the operation of birth and death registration centre in Islamabad has been suspended, causing great inconvenience to citizens.

For residents of Islamabad, birth and death certificates are issued by a subordinate office of Directorate of Municipal Authority (DMA)- which is part of Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI).

However, the service has been suspended for the last three days, exposing the efficiency of the DMA.

“I have been visiting the office of birth and death certificate centre located in sector F-6 for the last two days to get birth certificate of my two children, but I was being told that due to payment issue, Nadra has suspended the service,” said a citizen, who wished not to be named.

He requested Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief Commissioner Islamabad Mohammad Ali Randhawa to take notice of this issue as citizens are in great trouble due to suspension of this service.

An official said the DMA owed around Rs2 million to Nadra, which would soon be released as the matter is expected to be resolved Thursday (today).

The official said suspension of the service has left hundreds of people in trouble particularly those who want to travel abroad and thos who get their children admitted in educational institutions,” he said.

Director DMA Dr Sania Pasha, despite repeated attempts, could not be approached for comments on the suspension of service and public’s suffering. She is also serving as Director Land in CDA.

However, one of the officials said that efforts are being made to get the service restored on Thursday.

The Nadra’s data is linked with DMA’s data for registration of birth and death certificates and until Nadra restores service, certificates can’t be issued, he said.

Another official said that this matter should have been resolved within one day, as paying only Rs2 million pending fee was not a big deal for MCI/DMA and even for CDA.

Secondly, he said Nadra should not have closed the service for this little amount, keeping in view the sufferings of citizens.

“This is a public interest matter and director DMA should get the service restored at the earliest. This issue should be given top priority,” he said.

Earlier, the birth-death registration centre was operating in the DMA building, later on it was shifted to G-7 in citizen facilitation centre before it was moved to current location in F-6 Markaz.

Published in Dawn, July 25th, 2024