Lahore High Court Rules CNIC Is a Fundamental Right, Sets Aside Order to Block Citizen’s Identity Card

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) has declared that a citizen’s Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) is a fundamental right that cannot be taken away, setting aside a Family Court order directing the blocking of a citizen’s identity card.

Justice Muzammil Akhtar Shabbir issued an eight-page written judgment while deciding an appeal filed by a citizen challenging the order to block his CNIC.

According to the judgment, the petitioner argued that the Family Court had ordered the blocking of his identity card after he failed to appear before the court. The High Court observed that a CNIC serves as proof of a citizen’s identity and that this right cannot be taken away. It further held that a Family Court does not have the authority to order the blocking of a national identity card, noting that the Supreme Court has already issued clear rulings on the matter.

The written order also stated that the petitioner’s lawyer informed the court that his client was outside Pakistan when the Family Court summoned him, making it impossible for him to appear.

The case arose after the petitioner’s wife approached the Family Court to seek enforcement of maintenance (financial support) orders, during which the Family Court had directed that the petitioner’s CNIC be blocked for non-appearance.

The Lahore High Court subsequently declared the Family Court’s order unlawful and set it aside.