Police block CNICs to round up lawbreakers
Interior minister Chaudhry Nisar gives NADRA 48 hours to prepare, submit a work plan. PHOTO: EXPRESS
In a step to replace e-policing, Chinot police rather than relying on traditional means of policing have opted to block Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) of proclaimed offenders (POs).
District Police Officer (DPO) Belal Zafar said they blocked 128 CNICs during the last few weeks. The step produced results and at least eight of them surrendered before police after obtaining bails from the court.
Zafar continued that there were 603 of total POs in Chiniot and police had their 317 CNICs available with them.
Chiniot police had blocked CNICs of 128 of them and moved the cases of 116 POs to district and sessions court for blocking of bank accounts and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) for blocking of SIMs.
Zafar asserted that the result was so fruitful that at least eight themselves surrendered before police after the steps were taken. Police were trying to trace out CNICs of remaining POs with the help of their family tree in coordination with NADRA.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan had also allowed the blocking of CNICs of POs in a verdict.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 12th, 2020.