Frankly, this is hilarious and shows the corruption within the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), and how rules are made to torture ordinary Pakistanis by so-called Digital NADRA.
In a digital world, an ordinary Pakistanis should be able to get a passport issued or renewed from any NADRA office. However, that is not the case because the Pakistani Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and NADRA enjoy annoying people.
NADRA’s British era rules
Here is the story of an applicant who went to NADRA’s DHA office in Lahore in the X block. The applicant just wanted to get their passport renewed.
According to the applicant, his original passport was issued in Islamabad. The address on his passport was of Islamabad again. The applicant used to live in the capital back in 2016. Since then the passport holder moved to Lahore.
Now the applicant went for passport renewal at DHA’s executive branch of NADRA. Want to know how NADRArenews a passport?
According to its British era rules, a citizen of Pakistan has to do the following if they have relocated since the last passport issuance date.
1- The applicant needs to show proof of where they live in Lahore.
2- The applicant needs to ask the property owner of the house where they live to provide a copy of their property documents. This will show that the landlord owns the house.
3- The landlord then has to provide a written certification that the passport renewal applicant actually does live in that same house
4- The landlord has to provide a utility bill showing that he receives utility bills at the same address
5- The utility bill and the property documents should have the same
Names and titles
6- The passport renewal applicant has to then write an application addressed to NADRA stating that they have moved from Islamabad to Lahore and are telling the truth that they have actually relocated.
7- The application needs to be signed and dated. Meanwhile, the applicant will also attach a copy of the CNIC.
Wait…it doesn’t end here!
8- The applicant then has to go find a government official who would verify that both the applicant and the landlord are telling the truth. The government officer (grade 18 and above) then needs to sign the letter to verify it
Once the entire process is properly followed, it is VERY EASY to get your passport renewed. WOW!
What is this behavior NADRA?
For a passport renewal, from a digital organization like NADRA, this so absurd. Why can’t a Pakistani go to any NADRA office for passport renewal and get their renewed passports? What is the rocket-science here?
It is a known fact that notarisation from a government officer involves giving bribes. Why is NADRA sleeping? And, why is the PTI has no time to look into this issue?
Prime Minister Imran Khan always says a digital Pakistan is our future. But, the mantra of PTI should not be a ‘digital Pakistan’ but a working ‘digital Pakistan’. We entered ‘Naya Pakistan’, willingly or unwillingly’ to make our lives easier, not to make it hell.
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