SHC issues notice to NADRA over listing of deceased man as alive

The Sindh High Court has issued notices to NADRA (National Database and Registration Authority) over a petition regarding the refusal to issue a B-Form for orphaned children.

The petition was filed by a mother seeking a B-Form for her children, whose father has passed away.

During the hearing, the lawyer for the petitioner stated that the children's father had died, but when the mother went to NADRA to obtain the B-Form for her children, NADRA refused to process the request.

According to NADRA, the children's father is listed as unmarried and alive in their records. Despite the woman presenting her marriage certificate, NADRA officials continued to deny the application.

The court, on the request of petitioner Gul Pari, has issued a notice to NADRA and has asked for a response by December 5, Express News reported.

It is noteworthy that due to complicated government processes, many citizens face difficulties with outdated records in NADRA, which often creates problems for families in obtaining identification documents, especially in inheritance matters.

Similarly, after separation or divorce, children often face difficulties in obtaining identity cards, and many are forced to approach the courts for resolution.

Data of 2.7m Pakistanis stolen in past: NADRA

The National Assembly's Standing Committee on Interior has been informed that data for 2.7 million Pakistanis had been stolen in previous years, prompting dismissals of implicated NADRA officials.

NADRA Chairman Lieutenant General Munir Afsar briefed the committee, revealing that a Grade 19 officer and five others were dismissed after investigations unearthed security breaches and internal collusion.

Some officials also colluded in issuing identity cards to Afghan nationals.

The committee, chaired by Raja Khurram Nawaz, held its session on Tuesday, where Afsar briefed members and responded to their questions.

Committee member Agha Rafiullah raised concerns about NADRA's accountability, claiming, "2.7 million people's data was stolen, yet those involved remain part of the department and have even been promoted."

Afsar clarified that the breach led to the dismissal of six officers, including one in Grade 19.

He explained that NADRA still faces operational limitations, with 61 tehsils largely in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan lacking local offices.

When committee member Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry inquired about Afghan nationals acquiring fake ID cards, Afsar responded that NADRA had already blocked 150,000 such cards.