Raise in fee of ID cards to overseas Pakistanis unfair: SC

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday termed the raise in fee of issuing National Identity Cards to Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) unfair.

During the hearing of the suo moto notice on unjust increase of fee for issuing NICOP, the Supreme Court summoned details of opening of Nadra centres abroad within two weeks. The three-member bench of Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar and comprising Justice Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Ejazul Hassan, heard the case. 

Nadra Chairman Usman Yousaf Mobeen, while submitting report on unjust raise in the fee, informed the court that the Pakistan Origin Card (POC) was for those Pakistanis who had given up the Pakistani nationality while the NICOP was for those Pakistanis who had gone abroad to earn livelihood but they too had Pakistani nationality. He said that the holders of POC did not need visa who intended to visit Pakistan.

At this, Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar said that Pakistanis living abroad sent heavy foreign exchange while heavy fees unfairly was recovered from them for issuing cards while fee which was being recovered from people in Pakistan was nonetheless. He said that fee concession should be given to Pakistanis residing abroad.