PPP MPAs slam CNICs verification decision

Lawmakers say Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has opted for

verification of CNICs to cover up his own incompetency and failure

Karachi

The Pakistan People’s Party female MPAs in Sindh criticised on Saturday the interior minister’s announcement about verifying all computerised national identity cards in the country, saying that the move would unduly subject the masses to hardships.

In a joint statement issued, MPAs Khairunnisa Mughal, Shaheena Sher Ali, and Shamim Mumtaz said interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had acted in haste while making the decision to verify CNICs.

They said the interior minister had opted to conduct verification of CNICs to cover up his own incompetency and failure.

The MPAs said the interior minister had never taken any cognisance of the serious issue confronted by the citizens of Karachi when applying for or the renewal of CNICs as they were being fleeced by agents who were working in collusion with some unscrupulous elements in the National Database and Registration Authority.

They pointed out that the CNICs of only those citizens of Karachi who had arrived from other provinces, especially from Fata and the provincially administered tribal areas should be verified.

They added that for conducting such a drive, a door-to-door basis campaign should be launched and the support of the law-enforcement agencies sought for this purpose.

They said that people should not be subjected to more hardships and verification should be carried out at their doorsteps.

The MPAs also demanded that the interior minister should take strict action against CNIC agents operating in Karachi.

 

CII recommendations rejected

The Human Rights Cell of the Pakistan Peoples Party has rejected the recent recommendations of the Council of Islamic Ideology (CCI), saying that the body lacked the power to propose any legislation.

In a statement, PPP Human Rights Cell coordinator Dr Nafeesa Shah said only the parliament was empowered as per the constitution to enact any law, annul, or propose amendments to any previous legislation.

She said under the Article-229 of the constitution, any legislature with a two-third majority could decide to seek assistance from CII on a religious issue. Another possibility is that the president of the country or a governor could seek advice from the CII on an issue.

She said as the CII had proposed its own version of the women’s protection bill in absence of the two above mandatory conditions of seeking advice, its recommendations had no constitutional value.

Shah said the council should not take up issues concerning violence against women and marriages of children. Instead, it should debate on issues that could promote peace and tolerance in the society in the wake of the rising wave of extremism and intolerance.

She advised the CII to adopt the line of the prevailing global thinking where there is no room for violence against women.