NADRA Restores Over 80,000 Blocked CNICs

Following the direction of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Government Assurances, the National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA) has restored over 80,000 out of more than 160,000 computerised national identity cards (CNICs) of Pakistani citizens that had been blocked.

This was revealed during the Standing Committee meeting held with member National Assembly Malik Muhammad Amir Dogar in the chair.

The committee had directed NADRA on March 19, 2019, to immediately resolve the issue of blocked CNICs — cancel all the bogus CNICs and restore all the genuine ones. So far, around half of the blocked CNICs have been restored and NADRA is checking the veracity of the rest of the cards.

The committee members appreciated the efforts of Chairman Standing Committee Malik Muhammad Amir Dogar, whose leadership, they said, made it possible to address a genuine problem of citizens.

The committee was informed that the holders of the remaining blocked CNICs were also being approached for their attendance in the district level committee meetings, however, most of the CNIC holders were not attending the meetings. The committee directed the authorities concerned to send three more letters to each of the applicants at both of their present and permanent addresses. It said that in case the CNICs holders did not appear before the committees, their cards should be permanently blocked.

The panel was informed that Engineering Allowance was not being paid to the engineers serving in the federal government. The Secretary Pay and Pension Commission informed the committee that they had received all the data from different quarters, however, another three months were required to finally give their recommendations regarding the Engineering Allowance. The committee directed the Pay and Pension Commission to submit its fortnightly report and ensure starting paying the Engineering Allowance to all of the engineers serving in the Federal Government within three months.

The meeting was attended by members National Assembly Mujahid Ali, Sheikh Rashid Shafiq, Shagufta Jumani, Khalid Hussain Khan Magsi, Shahnaz Naseer Baloch, Usman Ibrahim, Syed Javed Husnain, Muhammad Afzal Khokhar, Syed Javed Ali Shah Jillani, Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah and Saira Bano. Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan was also present in the meeting along with senior civil officers from Parliamentary Affairs Division, Interior Division and Finance Division.