Over 71,000 CNICs blocked in last five years, NA told

Meanwhile, 44,450 CNICs were unblocked whereas 13,619 were under verification

By Asim Yasin
January 14, 2025
Outside view of the NADRA's mega center in Peshawar. — APP/File

ISLAMABAD: The Interior Ministry told the National Assembly that during the last five years, the National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) has blocked 71,849 CNIC.

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According to the details presented by the Interior Ministry in the National Assembly across the country a total of 71,849 CNICs were blocked, 44,450 were unblocked and 13,619 were under verification.

Giving a province-wise breakup 25,981 CNIC were blocked in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 13,607 were unblocked and 2,028 were under verification. In Punjab 13,564 CNICs were blocked, 13,427 were unblocked and 2,028 were under verification, 25,9967 CNICs were blocked in Sindh, 9,737 were unblocked and 5,548 were under verification. During the same period, 20,583 CNICs were blocked in Balochistan, 5728 were unblocked and 2,784 were under verification. In the case of the federal capital, 1,370 CNICs were blocked, 1,331 were unblocked and 451 were under verification. Citing details of Gilgit Baltistan, the interior ministry said 228 CNICs were blocked, 74 were unblocked and only two were under verification. Whereas, in Azad Kashmir, 446 CNICs were blocked, 556 were unblocked and 67 were under verification.

In a written reply to a question of PPP’s Shazia Marri, who asked whether there is any law or policy of the government to prohibit the sale of hazardous acids and if there is any proposal under consideration to enforce a standard requirement for their purchase. In response, the Interior Ministry said the Poisons Act 1919 is the only available legal framework to regulate their sale. The Interior Ministry stated that the Islamabad Capital Territory administration is framing rules under the said Act to strengthen the regulatory framework for the sale and purchase of Sulfuric Acid, Hydrofluoric Acid, etc. It said that currently, rules are being framed by ICT under the Poisons Act 1919 to ensure strict monitoring of the sale and purchase and to ensure the purchaser’s identity is registered at the time of sale to deter misuse of acids.

In a reply to another question from Shazia Sobia Aslam Somoro concerning the official statistics on drug use in the country, the Ministry of Narcotics Control stated that the last Drug Survey Report in 2013 found 6.7 million people between the ages of 15-64 years using illicit drugs including misuse of prescription drugs. The Pakistan Bureau of Statistics has recently been tasked by the prime minister to initiate a fresh drug survey. This exercise is expected to be completed in FY 2025-26 and will provide reliable status of drug usage. Furthermore, the Anti-Narcotics Force was tasked by the national apex leadership to execute a holistic counter-narcotics campaign. The campaign resulted in the arrest of 267 individuals and seized 739.633 kg of drugs, it concluded.

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