The Lahore High Court has ruled that a Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) is not a movable property and cannot be blocked, impounded, or attached by civil courts as a coercive measure.
Justice Tanveer Ahmad Sheikh issued the ruling at the Multan Bench while allowing a petition filed by Muhammad Ali Ansari, whose CNIC had been blocked by the National Database and Registration Authority on the directions of a civil court.
CNIC is not a property right
The court held that a CNIC, although a physical document, does not qualify as movable property and does not grant ownership rights to its holder.
Instead, it remains the property of the federal government under the NADRA Ordinance 2000.
Civil courts lack authority
The judge ruled that civil courts have no legal authority to order the blocking or impounding of CNICs in civil proceedings. Such actions, the court noted, can only be taken by NADRA under specific conditions, such as fraud, duplication, or ineligibility.
NADRA action declared illegal
The court declared NADRA’s action of blocking the petitioner’s CNIC on court orders as illegal and without lawful authority.
It directed the authority to immediately unblock the CNIC and submit a compliance report within 15 days.
The verdict sets an important legal precedent, reinforcing limits on coercive powers in civil litigation and protecting citizens’ identity rights.
