Registration of orphans, abandoned children: Nadra begins consultation with stakeholders

National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) has started consultation with all stakeholders to remove the ambiguities in the law regarding the registration of orphans and abandoned children and, after consultation, a policy draft would be put before Nadra Board for approval, said Tariq Malik, Deputy Chairman Nadra here on Wednesday.
"President Asif Ali Zardari has directed Nadra to ensure removal of the ambiguities in law and register these children to give them an identity", Malik said while talking to Business Recorder.
In line with the decision of Turkey's founding father Kamal Attaturk, President Zardari has suggested that the state take responsibility of these children and make them viable components of the society, Tariq Malik said.
Nadra gathered 'Fatwas' decrees from Saudi Arabia and Iran and consulted the SOS village, Edhi Foundation and other NGOs and charitable organisations running orphanages and in view of these feedback a draft of the policy will be prepared and put before Nadra board, he said, adding that in view of the consultation Nadra has proposed amendments in the law to get these children registered on national database.
"Nadra is legally bound not to register children with unknown parentage in the database unless the rules are clarified which bar the registration authority from registration of these children", Malik said, adding that the actual role of Nadra is to register citizens under Nadra Ordinance but the law is completely silent on children with unknown parentage.
He said that the issue of parentage of abandoned children is a sensitive and religious matter and in order to sort out this issue, Nadra has sought Fatwa from religious scholars of different schools of thought along with referring this case to Council for Islamic Ideology (CII).
He said that the CII opined, "No specific name may be given if parentage is not known."
Tariq Malik said under the existing rules, the cases of orphans are being processed on the production of a guardianship certificate issued by the Guardian Court and a considerable number of such cases have been processed by Nadra including more than 40 children from Edhi foundation as well.