KARACHI, Nov 8: The Nazim of Karachi, Naimatullah Khan, has demanded of the NADRA authorities to have a review of the enhanced fee for computerized identity cards, which will be effective from January 1, 2002, as it will be unbearable for poor and middle class people.

He said if it was not possible then enhanced fee for computerized NIC be made applicable from July 1, 2002 instead of January 1 so that maximum people could get the NIC on payment of Rs35.

He stated this while talking to NADRA’s DG for Sindh Brig Shahid Behram, during a visit to its Sindh HQ here on Thursday.

The City Nazim said that on an average a family consisted of 4-6 persons and the payment of enhanced fee for the CNIC would be out of their reach.

The Nazim during the visit went round various sections with Brig Behram and officials of the City Government. The DG gave a detailed briefing to Nazim.

He said computerized cards were being expeditiously distributed and delivered to those at their homes who had deposited the application forms. He said that so far 150,000 CNICs had been distributed.

Regarding database, Brig Shahid said among the developing countries, Pakistan was the only country which collected so much information which was available to only developed countries.

He said the database would have the record of convicts, the family lineage.

He said information about handicapped people in a city, the civic facilities such as hospital, transport, the number of travel agents and other professional people, the population growth and the number of dead and those residing illegally would also be made available in the database.

Brig Shahid said that all District HQs of NADRA were linked with the Central HQ at Islamabad through optic fibre. He said in Karachi NADRA had five district offices and 100 local offices where staff were engaged in providing service to people.

He informed the Nazim that NADRA charged Rs35 only for the issuance of CNIC as against the original cost of Rs140. He said December 31, 2001 was the last date when an application for a CNIC on payment of Rs35 could be submitted after which the card would be available on payment of Rs140.

He said that for the overseas Pakistanis, the cost of a CNIC was 100 dollars.

Brig Shahid said that for public convenience, the thumb impression could be affixed in any manner and the same would be correctly scanned by the computer. He said now such forms were also being accepted in which entries had been made with dark blue ink or a ball point pen besides the black ink.

He told the Nazim about the problems being faced in acquiring offices in “districts West and Central”. The Nazim assured of all cooperation for NADRA in the service of the people. He said there would be complete coordination between NADRA and the City Government.—APP