Tribal Chiefs Have No Legal Authority to Verify CNICs or Domicile: Federal Constitutional Court Rules; Sardari System Declared Legally Defunct, Petition of Kharoti Tribe Chief Dismissed

Islamabad: The Federal Constitutional Court in Islamabad has delivered a landmark judgment clarifying that tribal chiefs in Pakistan have no legal authority to verify Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs) or domicile certificates.
A two-member bench headed by Justice Aamer Farooq issued a 12-page detailed verdict stating that the traditional sardari (tribal chieftain) system was abolished in 1976 and holds no legal status in the country. The court further observed that it is merely a regional custom that cannot be given judicial endorsement.
The judgment emphasized that the issuance of identity documents is strictly governed by law, and therefore their verification authority lies exclusively with designated government officials. No tribal chief or local authority outside the legal framework can be granted such powers.
The court dismissed the appeal filed by Kharoti tribe chief Sardar Ghulam Ali against a decision of the Balochistan High Court, declaring it inadmissible.
In its remarks, the court noted that the petitioner was not a directly aggrieved party. It further stated that any individual deprived of identity documentation should approach the relevant courts personally instead of relying on tribal representatives or chiefs.