Supreme Court of Pakistan has ruled that a national identity card is a basic necessity of life and cannot be blocked by any court without clear legal authority.
Justice Munib Akhtar issued a three-page judgment declaring the Sindh High Court order to block a citizen’s identity card illegal. The order had been issued to enforce compliance with court decisions.
The apex court observed that a national identity card is not a luxury but an essential requirement for daily life. The judgment questioned whether courts could next order the disconnection of electricity or water services to recover money, highlighting the seriousness of blocking such a document.
Justice Akhtar stated that depriving a citizen of an identity card is equivalent to taking away a fundamental right. He noted that there is no provision under Section 51 of the Civil Procedure Code that allows courts to block identity cards.
The court also clarified that amendments made by the Peshawar High Court to the Civil Procedure Code do not apply in Sindh.
The Supreme Court emphasised that without explicit legal backing, no court has the authority to block a citizen’s identity card.
According to the case record, a trial court had issued a decree in 2016 against the petitioner for payment of money. After non-payment, the trial court ordered the blocking of the petitioner’s identity card, and the Sindh High Court had upheld that decision — which has now been set aside.