NADRA cannot revoke citizenship, IHC told

National Database and Registration Authority says revoking a Pakistani’s citizenship does not fall under its domain

ISLAMABAD: The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) on Saturday told the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that it had only cancelled the identity card of JUI-F leader Hafiz Hamdullah after meeting all legal requirements and revoking a Pakistani’s citizenship did not fall under its domain.

“Hafiz Hamdullah’s CNIC was cancelled under Section 18 of the NADRA Ordinance 2000,” it stated in a written reply submitted to the court by NAB DG Operations Col (retd) Tahir Maqsood Khan. NADRA also sought the dismissal of the petition filed against the authority by the JUI-F leader.

NADRA further informed the court that the CNIC was cancelled on the basis of reports prepared by security agencies.

It maintained that neither did it have the record of Hamdullah’s previous identity card, nor any information about his family background.

The JUI-F leader appeared before NADRA’s regional office to submit his documents, he added.

The authority told the court that a security agency in its report issued on December 12, 2018 had declared Hamdullah an Afghan national. Then in another report issued by the agency on October 11 this year, it was stated that the JUI-F leader’s documents were bogus.

On the basis of these reports, NADRA started an investigation into the case.

It was found that the Hamdullah was issued a manual identity card in 1992 and then a CNIC in 2004.

Last month, the IHC suspended NADRA’s decision to cancel Hamdullah’s CNIC.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the petition filed by the former senator and minister against NADRA’s move to declare him an “alien”.

The court gave NADRA two weeks to submit its reply on the matter and barred the interior ministry from taking any action against Hamdullah.

In a letter dated October 11, NADRA said Hamdullah “is not a citizen of Pakistan”. “Therefore, NADRA vide its orders U/S 18(1) & 17(2) has cancelled and digitally impounded the CNIC issued to Mr Hafiz Hamdullah Saboor,” the authority said.

Consequently, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) directed all television channels to stop inviting him for talk shows.

Hamdullah’s lawyer questioned the basis of NADRA’s move since the JUI-F leader had contested multiple elections and also served as a senator.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah inquired about the whereabouts of Hamadullah’s children and was told that one of them was currently serving in the Pakistan Army.

“If a mother is willing to sacrifice her son for this soil, then how is her husband’s citizenship being doubted?” the IHC chief justice remarked.

The court also suspended the Pemra notification barring Hamdullah’s television appearances, stating that only the federal government holds the authority to pass such an order.

Hamdullah has contested elections six times. He remained a member of the upper house of Pakistan’s parliament on a JUI-F ticket from March 2012 to March 2018. He had also been health minister in the Balochistan cabinet from 2002 to 2006.