A Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar was informed by senior counsel Makhdoom Ali Khan that “it was not necessary to display the name of the father on the identification documents provided such information was available in the official records and databases”.
“Persons are identified through thumb impressions, facial recognition technology and retina scans at all major airports in Pakistan and abroad,” said Khan.
According to a local media report, the SC bench heard the petition of Tatheer Fatima, who claimed that “her father played no role in her life since her birth and that she was raised by her mother Fehmida Butt as a single parent”.
Following this, she had requested the court to “order her registration as a citizen of Pakistan without her father’s name appearing in any official record or identification documents”.
Furthermore, she requested the court to provide an order for National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and the director general of Immigration and Passports to “issue the CNIC and passport without her father’s name on them”.
The matter was then referred to the interior ministry for finding a solution to the issue.
Born on Aug 14, 1996, the girl had applied for CNIC on Aug 14, 2014, but the request was turned down by NADRA on the grounds that she did not provide the requisite details such as her father’s name.
