LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has directed Inspector General of Police (IGP) Punjab to submit a report about the details of senior officer of the Special Branch and its team who are responsible for verification process required for issuance of CNIC and Passport.
Justice Muhammad Farrukh Irfan Khan passed the orders while hearing a petition filed by Khair-ul-Bashar and his wife who had taken up the plea that they were citizens of Pakistan by birth and also holding CNIC cards issued by the NADRA but due to some verification process, they had not been issued passports so far. They contended that the step was violation of Section 24-A of General Clauses Act (X of 1987).
During the hearing, Muhammad Mahmood Khan, Deputy Attorney General, appeared before the court and placed on the file a Passport Policy. He said that according to Section 23(ii) of the said Policy "In case of doubt about the national status, the passport officer will make a reference to the Special Branch of Police for verification of national status. However, the passport office will have to justify it in writing giving reasons for reference in a register to be maintained for this purpose. Care should be taken to ensure that cases are not referred unnecessarily or in routine which may become a source of harassment to genuine applicants."
However, the court noted with great concern that in presence of procedure, why the said matter was forwarded to Intelligence Bureau (IB) by the passport authorities.
The petitioners' counsel Muhammad Ashraf Pasha, argued that verification process had become a bane for the public at large as the Passport Office and NADRA seem to be handicapped in terms of verification of the antecedents of the persons whose cases are referred for further verification.
He said that, after submission of report by Deputy Director IB, the controversy about the concerned investigative agency for verification, had been resolved as he had categorically stated that IB was not responsible for such verifications giving rise to the conclusion that Special Branch of Police was solely responsible for verification.
At this, the court directed the IGP, Punjab, to submit a report about the Special Branch team responsible for undertaking the verification on the antecedents of applicants of CNIC and Passports.
The court also directed that the IGP to provide a procedure with a time frame wherein the requisite verification would be made on being referred to Special Branch of Police with further direction that report be furnished keeping in view the fact that the issuance of a CNIC and a Passport was a basic right of every citizen of this country.
The court directed law officer to ensure the report by next date of hearing, otherwise, IGP would be required to appear on the next date.
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