PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on Tuesday adopted a unanimous resolution against the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) for blocking Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) and urged the federal interior ministry to immediately restore the blocked CNICs.
The Khyber Pakthunkwa Assembly with Speaker Assad Qaisar in the chair. The resolution moved by Senior Minister Inayat Ullah Khan was unanimously adopted by the house with support of both the treasury benches and opposition lawmakers.
Members of the provincial assembly warned of holding demonstrations outside Parliament if the federal government failed to take immediate action and resolve the issue of the blocked CNICs.
The resolution moved by Inayat Ullah demanded that NADRA authorities should be approached on issue of ‘Blocked Cards’. He said that all the blocked cards should be cleared with two months as lack of proper identification documentation has restricted the movement tens of thousands of people who are confined to their homes.
Senior Minister Inayatullah Khan said the blockade of CNICs was a serious issue as it was mandatory to carry IDs in parts of K-P and a few tribal areas. This, he added, caused a lot of trouble for the locals. He urged the federal interior ministry to review its policy pertaining to the blocked CNICs, saying ‘Pashtoons were being discriminated at all levels’.
He urged NADRA to immediately unblock CNICs so that people could move freely.
Sardar Hussain Babak of the Awami National Party said the federal government discriminated against Pashtoons, whether they were from K-P, Fata or Balochistan.
While the provincial government and opposition parties bashed the federal government for its ‘injustice against Pashtoons’, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) MPA Sardar Aurangzeb Nalota termed blocking of the CNICs ‘a successful step by the government to curb militancy’ in the region.
He stated that the country was engulfed by terrorism but the federal government’s decision to block CNICs helped identify militants.
The issue of lack of burn centres and shortage of beds in the existing burn centres in the province was also brought under discussion by the opposition.
In response, Provincial Health Minister Shaukat Ali Yousafzai snapped back, saying that it was the responsibility of the federal government to construct as well as provide equipment to the burn centres which it has not despite many reminders.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MPA Sardar Hussain demanded that the provincial assembly speaker stop perks and privileges of members who do not attend the assembly sessions regularly.
The Khyber Pakthunkwa Assembly also unanimously passed resolution seeking voting rights to the transgender community in the province.
The resolution moved by Amna Sardar of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) stated that federal government should be pursued to contact Election Commission for giving voting rights to the transvestites. She said that recommendations should be forwarded to give transgender rights of franchise and granting them a respectable status in the society.
Provincial minster also moved another resolution regarding giving No Objection Certificate (NOC) to foreigners travelling to Khyber Pakhtukhwa.
He said that federal authorities should facilitate foreign investors by giving them relieve from getting NOC.
The fourth resolution was moved by Sahibzada Sana Ullah of PPP. The resolution demanded that ship owners and Balouchistan government should be contacted to compensate victims of Gadani incident. He said that victims of Gadani are still awaiting help from ship owners and provincial government of Balouchistan.
All the resolutions were passed by KP Assembly unanimously.
