The Sindh High Court has expressed strong displeasure over Nadra’s non-compliance in a case regarding the issuance of a national identity card to a woman named Zarina, directing the authority to immediately convene a zonal board meeting and verify the applicant’s details.
According to Dawn News, the case was heard in the Sindh High Court on a contempt petition filed against Nadra officials for failing to implement earlier court directives. Justice Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro criticized Nadra officials, stating that their attitude towards citizens was unacceptable and questioned the mechanism by which Nadra verifies and processes applicants’ records.
During the hearing, a Nadra representative argued that the authority issues tokens to citizens to manage their turn. However, the court rebuked this, pointing out that citizens often leave their work to visit Nadra offices only to be dismissed with excuses, such as staff being on a lunch break. The judge remarked sarcastically that Nadra officers could also be made to sit in court and told to come back the next day.
The court reminded Nadra that it had already ordered the zonal board to decide on Zarina’s application, emphasizing that it should not be difficult to determine whether or not she is entitled to an identity card. The court directed Nadra to submit a progress report within 15 days.
The petitioner’s counsel informed the court that the order for verification was initially issued in March 2025. However, Zarina does not have any close blood relatives, and she had requested the court to allow her national identity card to be processed on the basis of her marital relationship with her husband.
