KARACHI, Oct 28: A division bench of the Sindh High Court dismissed on Thursday a writ petition challenging issuance of computerized national identity cards on payment of excessive fees and cancellation of old cards.

The petition, filed by Advocate Shaukat Ali Shaikh in the public interest, maintained that the main purpose of the National Database and Registration Authority, established by an ordinance in 2000, was development of a national database and updating of registration of citizens by issuing computerized cards. But Nadra was more interested in cancelling old cards, issued under the 1973 National Registration Act, than in issuing the new ones. Unreasonable charges were being realized from the applicants not only for providing new cards but also for rectifying errors. The forms were rather complicated and fees was too high for a large number of people living below the poverty-line.

Contesting the petition through Advocate Faisal Kamal Alam, Nadra submitted that it was created to modernize registration and database systems by employing advanced technology to cater to the needs of economic development and national security and eliminate bogus identity cards.

The authority said the Nadra Ordinance repealed the 1973 Registration Act. The life of the cards issued under it was, however, extended for two years by the ordinance itself. The federal government was empowered to extend the validity of the old cards.

The cut-off date expired on Jan 31, but the old cards were treated as valid for restricted purposes. No inconvenience to the public was caused. In fact, the announcement of the expiry date encouraged and persuaded all citizens to acquire new cards.

The fees, Nadra said, was not high considering the expenses involved. The authority was not making any profit. The information sought by it from the applicants was essential for developing a national database. The citizenry would benefit from the database in a number of ways once the initial problems were over. It had set up swift and mobile centres to issue cards in urban and rural areas, Nadra stated.

The petition was dismissed by a division bench, comprising Chief Justice Saiyed Saeed Ashhad and Justice Maqbool Baqar, who finally heard it. A stay order against cancellation of the old cards was earlier vacated by another division bench.