PHC questions Nadra over declaring Pakistani man’s son Afghan national

PESHAWAR: A division bench of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) was informed on Friday that the National Database and Registration Authority had declared a man Pakistani citizen and his son an Afghan.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan and Justice Abdul Shakoor issued direction to the Ministry of Interior to decide an appeal of Zabihullah within a month. During the course of hearing, Justice Qaiser Rashid Khan questioned the legal advisors of Nadra as to how it is possible that the father is being declared and verified Pakistani and his son Zabihullah a foreigner.

Zabihullah is a resident of Larama area in Peshawar. The petitioner’s lawyers Hashim Mingal and Emad Amjum Durrani submitted before the bench that the Joint Verification Committee on April 8, 2014 verified the name of Amanullah, father of the petitioner, and declared him a Pakistan citizen.

The lawyers submitted that even after declaring father of the petitioner a Pakistani national, the Nadra blocked the CNIC of the petitioner. They further said the Nadra had also verified the names of other family members and declared them Pakistani nationals. The lawyers said that recently the Nadra had verified him as a Pakistani national but still it was not unblocking his CNIC.

To a question, the Nadra’s legal advisor replied that the Nadra could not unblock the petitioner’s CNIC till final decision of the Interior Ministry in the appeal.The court directed the Ministry of Interior to decide the appeal in the light of the verification report of Nadra and asked assistant attorney general of Pakistan Tariq Mansoor to ensure the court order and submit reply before next hearing. The court fixed September 17 for next hearing into the case.