LAHORE: Spokesman of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Amirul Azeem on Friday condemned the 100 per cent increase in the fee of the issuance of computerized national identity cards (CNIC), and called for its immediate withdrawal.
In a letter to the NADRA Chairman, he said it seemed that instead of providing identity to the citizens, NADRA was selling its own identity to the people.
Amirul Azeem said it was the constitutional responsibility of the government to provide identity to its citizens and the governments carried on their duties through the taxes collected from the general public. He said that certain departments charged nominal amounts for the forms etc., for completing the office work.
The JI spokesman said the fee being charged for the issuance of CNIC was already higher than in the neighbouring countries and an increase in it was totally unjustified.
Besides, he said the present government was about to complete its term and any decision in this respect should have been left to the next government.
He said it was a pity that the business-minded rulers were increasing the burden of taxes and levies on the general public, and asked how could such rulers check the private sector from taking such decisions.
Amirul Azeem asked the NADRA Chairman to inform the general public how much amount NADRA had been collecting from the issuance of CNICs annually besides the amounts collecting from other heads.