The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday issued a bailable arrest warrant for the Assistant Director of Verification at the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA). The action followed the prolonged non-issuance of a Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) to a Karachi resident.
Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro presided over the case, filed by Maulana Abdul Bashar, a father of 11 children, against NADRA. During the hearing, the court sharply criticized NADRA officials for failing to act despite all required documents being submitted years ago.
“The applicant has been going round in circles since 2004. If all documents are in order, why hasn’t the identity card been issued?” Justice Kalhoro questioned. He added, “Has NADRA established a monarchy? Are you running your own court? It seems like you have created a state within a state.”
The court observed that NADRA had already issued birth certificates for all of Bashar’s children, yet the father’s CNIC application remained unprocessed. “Nowhere in NADRA’s response is it stated that the documents are fake,” the judge noted.
Maulana Abdul Bashar told the court he had been visiting NADRA offices for nearly two decades without results. “Because I don’t have a CNIC, my children are being denied school admissions. Their education is suffering,” he said.
Following these remarks, the SHC issued a bailable arrest warrant for the NADRA official to ensure accountability and expedite the CNIC issuance process. Legal experts say such measures signal the judiciary’s intolerance for bureaucratic delays that impact citizens’ fundamental rights.
The court adjourned the hearing for one week, emphasizing that failure to comply could lead to stricter actions. The arrest warrant issued reflects a growing judicial push to hold public officials accountable for administrative negligence.
NADRA has yet to respond to the court’s latest orders, but officials are expected to take immediate steps to resolve the matter before the next hearing.
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