Tribal chiefs cannot verify ID documents: FCC

The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) has ruled that tribal chiefs lack the legal authority to verify identity documents such as Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) or domiciles.

An FCC division bench, led by Justice Aamer Farooq, issued this ruling in response to an appeal filed by Ghulam Ali, a tribal leader of the Kharoti tribe in Balochistan, who challenged a Balochistan High Court (BHC) decision.

In its 12-page verdict, the FCC stated that issuing and verifying identity documents must strictly follow established legal procedures and can only be carried out by authorised officials under the law.

The court emphasized that the tribal Sardari system, though a cultural tradition, holds no legal status.

It noted that the system was formally abolished in 1976 and cannot receive judicial recognition, adding that tribal chiefs have no legal authority to verify identity documents such as CNICs or domiciles.

The court dismissed the appeal as inadmissible, stating that only directly affected individuals deprived of identity documents have the legal standing to approach the court.