KARACHI, April 12: The “swift” centre set up in the city to provide people computerized identity cards within a specified time has failed to fulfil its task aggravating the problems of applicants.

The number of people seeking new cards continue to swell at the swift centre of the National Database Registration Authority at Awami Markaz, but their hopes of getting their cards on the specified dates, has diminished as they are being continuously told that their cards have not been sent from Islamabad even after the specified dates.

Those who had submitted their applications, with a fee of Rs35 a form, at the Nadra’s provincial headquarters or at the old NIC centres eight months ago or more, are still waiting for their new cards. This has led people to throng the “swift” centre to get their cards on time, though they have to pay more at the “swift” centre than the prescribed normal fee.

Aiazaz Ahmed and his wife, Nasreen Zehra, who submitted their forms at the “swift” centre about one and a half months ago (on Feb 27, bearing receipt Nos 36 and 37), said they had submitted the forms with the urgent fee of Rs180 a form, and the cards should have been delivered after 10 working days.

They said: “But by now several 10 working days have passed and we are yet to get the new cards. We have been seeing the officials at the counter who say the cards have not reached here from Islamabad, and you should come after three or four days. For how long we will keep on visiting Awami Markaz to get the new cards.”

People criticized the working of the “swift” centre, saying “it is nothing more than a method of generating more revenue.”

They alleged the government wanted to generate revenue by introducing the system of new cards.

People alleged the “error-free system” of Nadra had been making mistakes even blunders, in mentioning applicants’ particulars on new cards. Besides mistakes in names and addresses, in several cases wrong gender had been mentioned.

For instance, a computerized card was issued to Haji Mohammed Akbar Khan in which he had been mentioned as a female, this was despite the fact that his card carried his bearded photograph.

The official blunder forced him to set aside all his appointments and spend a whole day on submitting a fresh application to get the right kind of card.

A number of people complained that they had submitted their and their family members’ applications for CNIC forms more than eight months back, but they were yet to receive the new cards. Some of the people said only one family member had received the CNIC and the rest of their family members were still waiting for the new cards.

An official at Nadra’s provincial headquarters said cards were being delivered by the post office and all of the people would gradually get new cards. Earlier, the officials had said they had received CNICs in bulk, and they sorted out bundles on first-come-first-open basis. CNICs were being sent to provincial headquarters with serial numbers.

However, he failed to explain when a family had been allotted a serial number, how CNICs had been sent in separate bundles.

Examination of a number of computerized cards received by people revealed that these cards carried different expiry dates. Besides, the cards carried an instruction that in case of change of permanent address, new cards would have to be obtained for the entire family. People said this would create problems, especially for those living in urban areas as in cities and towns people kept changing their residences.

“It appears to be a device employed by the government to make the issuance of ID cards a perpetual source of revenue generation,” said a citizen.

A Nadra official said a formula had been devised while fixing the date of expiry. However, he failed to explain the formula.

People said the government had fixed a fee of Rs35 for a CNIC and after its expiry, a CNIC-holder would have to pay Rs140, or whatever the government fixes at that time, for renewal of the CNIC. “What kind of punishment the government wants to give to the people,” a man asked.

“If I lose my CNIC to a pick-pocket at marketplace or during a bus journey, which often happens in Karachi, again I will have to pay Rs140 to get a new CNIC,” he said.