PESHAWAR
Tribal elders from district Mohmand on Monday urged the federal government to immediately unblock thousands of national identity cards suspended under Section 18 of the NADRA Ordinance, and to end what they termed discriminatory treatment of Mohmand tribes in the name of verification.
Addressing a joint press conference at the Peshawar Press Club (PPC), elders of the Mohmand Loya Jirga, led by Saleem Khan Mohmand, said the authority was demanding 1978 records ,including old CNICs, passports and other documents , from residents of the former Fata, documents most families do not possess.
The press conference was attended by several other elders of the Mohmand Loya Jirga Peshawar chapter.
“Under Section 18, thousands of cards from district Mohmand have been blocked. NADRA is asking for 1978 records, but we do not have any such record,” Saleem Khan said. “This has left thousands of residents of Mohmand without valid identification.”
He said the only NADRA verification centre serving Mohmand residents is currently located in Charsadda, forcing hundreds of people, including children and women, to travel long distances for processing.
The jirga demanded that the verification centre be shifted from Charsadda to Ghalanai, the headquarters of district Mohmand, to facilitate locals.
The elders also called on the government to issue a new standard operating procedure for verification in tribal districts and to immediately restore all CNICs blocked under Section 18 of the NADRA Ordinance 2000.
“Verification should not be used as a tool of discrimination against the Mohmand nation,” Saleem Khan said. “We demand that all blocked cards of district Mohmand be unblocked at the earliest.”
He warned that if the demands were not met, the jirga would be compelled to launch a protest campaign.
