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Interior minister tells Justice Nisar ‘where will we go after getting angry at courts’
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Iqbal assures resolution of issue in two weeks
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar on Monday remarked that the courts are friends of the public and government, as Federal Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal appeared before the judges in the National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) fee case.
A three-member bench, headed by Justice Nisar and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, is hearing the suo moto case regarding government charging an extra fee for NICOP.
The chief justice has taken suo motu notice of the case on the application of overseas Pakistanis that the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has been charging exorbitant fee for issuance and cancellation of POC causing them a financial burden.
According to the applicant, the overseas Pakistanis are paying $100 to NADRA for preparation of POC, but it has increased the fee to $150.
The unnecessary increase in fee has discouraged the overseas Pakistanis to get the POC.
As the hearing went underway, the chief justice asked Iqbal if he is angry for being summoned. Iqbal responded, “where will we go after getting angry”, and highlighted the chief justice’s suo motu intervention on public issues.
“Have you seen Hujra Shah Muqeem case, the chief justice asked. “What are politicians doing? You people have to address this problem and lead the country.”
Upon this, the minister said he respected courts and that the chief justice’s concern was correct.
Iqbal then put forward his own request for the court to look into the delay in construction of a school in Narowal on the orders of a high court judge.
The CJP asked the minister for the case’s file number, saying the bench would address his concern.
“You consider the courts to be your enemy — they are the assets of the public and the state,” he said.
“I consider them friends as well, which is why I have brought this matter into its knowledge,” Iqbal quipped.
In a social media post after the hearing, the minister said: “Four things belong to a judge; a) to hear courteously b) to answer wisely c) to consider soberly d) & to decide impartially (Socrates)”.
Four things belong to a judge; a) to hear courteously b) to answer wisely c) to consider soberly… https://t.co/af5MaXdhEV
— Ahsan Iqbal (@betterpakistan) March 26, 2018
‘ISSUE TO BE RESOLVED IN TWO WEEKS’:
During the hearing, Iqbal assured the apex court that he will get the issue resolved by the federal cabinet during its next session and submit a report in two weeks as per the court’s direction.
The chief justice remarked that they have to ensure that overseas Pakistanis get voting rights.
Justice Ahsan remarked that the subsidy provided to locals should also be provided to foreign Pakistanis. However, Iqbal explained that overseas Pakistanis earn more and are thus charged accordingly.
Chief Justice Nisar also observed, as he has in earlier cases, the important role that overseas Pakistanis play in boosting the country’s economy and their love for the country.
The hearing was then adjourned for two weeks.
In an earlier hearing, the CJP had remarked that overseas Pakistanis must receive special consideration from the NADRA in light of their “commendable services” to the country.
The NADRA chairman earlier made a distinction in court between the NICOP and the POC, saying that the former is for people who live in foreign countries for employment purposes but have kept their Pakistani nationality while the latter is for people living in foreign countries who have given up their Pakistani nationality or for foreigners who have blood relatives who are or were Pakistani nationals.
NADRA had claimed before the court that the price of the new chip-based smart identification card was comparatively high due to its distinctive features.
It said the chip-based POC was equipped with 36 security features (overt and covert) intended to preserve a citizen’s identity more efficiently by preventing all types of forgery.
