PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Monday restrained authorities from deporting a petitioner named ‘Quaid-i-Azam’ and directed him to appear before the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra)’s verification board.

A two-member PHC bench, comprising Justice Waqar Ahmed and Justice Inamullah Khan, was hearing a petition filed by resident Quaid-i-Azam against the blocking of his national identity card.

Advocate Saifullah Mohib Kakakhel appeared on behalf of the petitioner, while Nadra’s legal representative Shahid Imran Gigiyani represented the authority.

During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel informed the court that his client was doing business in Dubai and Pakistan. He said the authorities had blocked his client’s national identity card. The counsel said his client was a Pakistani citizen who was running a business and paying taxes to the government.

He said his client was being penalised by the blocking of his identity card, which was causing him immense hardship.

Kakakhel said his client was now being asked to produce his uncle before Nadra. He said other members of his client’s family also held Pakistani identity cards.

Gigiyani, assistant director legal at Nadra, told the bench that the authority had submitted its response to the court.

However, he said the petitioner’s identity card was considered suspicious and had therefore been blocked.

After hearing arguments from both sides, the bench directed the petitioner to appear before Nadra’s verification board and restrained the authorities from deporting him until then.