Officials of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) assured the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Saturday that amputees without arms will now be able to get their toe impression printed on Computerised National Identity Cards (CNIC).
Earlier, LHC judge Justice Shahif Jamil Khan, took the decision to allow issuance of CNIC with toe impression on the request of a petitioner who complained to the court that the absence of a special identity card, he could not avail certain facilities, including issuance of mobile SIM card and opening of bank account.
The petitioner had pleaded that the respondents did not implement Regulation No 13 of NADRA (Application for National Identity Card) Regulation, 2002, in his case. According to the regulation, an applicant whose hands were amputated should put the impression of his/her left foot toe on the application form, and if the left foot toe is also amputated, the impression of the right foot toe should be put on the prescribed place in the form.
On the directives of the LHC judge, NADRA Deputy Director (Operations) Mohsin Matloob had earlier informed the court that certain amendments in the software module were required to implement the regulations, and requested to be given six weeks to complete the task.
After the passage of the allotted time, the petitioner approached the court again to file a complaint regarding non-implementation of the orders.
He said in his petition that a CNIC was issued to him, but the foot toe impression could not be verified by the software. NADRA deputy director was summoned by the court in the matter, but in the absence of a satisfactory reply from him, the court had directed NADRA chairman to look into the matter.
During Saturday’s proceedings, officials from the registration authority assured the court that a record of CNICs containing toe impressions would be kept forthwith.