PHC disposes of over 100 citizenship petitions

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has disposed of more than 100 petitions filed by alleged Pakistani citizens who had earlier obtained Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) and Proof of Registration (PoR) cards for various purposes and were now seeking restoration of their Pakistani nationality.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Waqar Ahmad and Justice Ijaz Khan directed petitioners to provide required documents in line with NADRA's standard operating procedures (SOPs). The court further instructed NADRA to issue clearance certificates for applicants who meet the SOP criteria so they may be granted Pakistani national identity cards.

During the proceedings, Justice Waqar Ahmad observed that the Interior Ministry lacked a proper mechanism to deal with such matters in the past. "Once NADRA was given the mandate, things became streamlined. Those not eligible should not be given relief, but genuine citizens must get their due right," he remarked.

Justice Ijaz Khan emphasized the need to facilitate citizens. "Thousands of people are approaching the courts. Use technology to simplify the process instead of making people run around. Deploy SAFRON officials alongside NADRA staff where necessary," he said.