Govt urged to appoint more women at NADRA, passport offices

Locals say dearth of female staff members serves as disincentive

HANGU: The government was urged to appoint women at the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) office in Hangu and passport office in Orakzai Agency.

This was said by people of both areas during a public gathering on Sunday. According to locals who were present on the occasion, women face difficulties in obtaining their computerised national identity cards (CNICs) and passports. They flayed the government for failing to appoint women at these offices even though vacancies are available.

As per the locals, women come to these offices from remote areas to get their passports and CNICs. However, the dearth of female staff members at these offices serves as a disincentive.

Locals said many women are left with no option but to leave the offices without obtaining CNICs and passports. Locals said their culture does not allow women to uncover their face in the company of men and this was creating problems for most women.

There are three vacant positions for women at the NADRA office in Hangu and two vacancies at the passport office. However, according to locals, government officials are not paying heed to it.

Locals from both agencies threatened to take to the streets if their demands were not met.

Tribal areas’ representatives Advocate Noor Awaz Khan, Muhammad Iqbal, Haji Nasarullah, Shad Muhammad Shinwari, Malik Habib and a few others were present at the gathering.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 25^th,  2016.