By Our Correspondent: The government has blocked 138,166 Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) across Balochistan, while 8,875 identity cards have been blocked in Makran and Rakhshan divisions, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry told the Senate.
Responding to a call-attention notice raised by Senator Jan Muhammad, Chaudhry said a regional committee had been formed to review disputed identity-card cases. He added that blocked CNICs could be restored if the objections against their holders were resolved.
The minister said the government was examining cases on merit amid concerns that foreign nationals had obtained Pakistani identity documents by being included in the family records of Pakistani citizens.
Senator Jan Muhammad raised concerns over the blocking of CNICs belonging to residents of Makran and Rakhshan, particularly in Gwadar and areas bordering Iran. He highlighted the longstanding family and tribal connections across international borders and called for a distinction between individuals suspected of holding foreign nationality and their relatives living in Pakistan.
The senator said families in Gwadar had members living in both Pakistan and Oman, with some maintaining citizenship ties to both countries. He urged the government to explore a dual-nationality agreement with Oman to address the difficulties faced by such families.
He also expressed concern over reports of large-scale CNIC blocking in the two divisions, claiming that more than 500,000 identity cards had been blocked in Makran and Rakhshan.
Jan Muhammad argued that action against an individual suspected of having foreign nationality should not result in the blocking of identity cards belonging to the entire family. He said cross-border relationships in the region dated back thousands of years.
Government cites nationality and security concerns
Responding to the concerns, Chaudhry said Makran and Rakhshan comprised eight districts with a combined population of approximately 2.9 million. The 8,875 blocked CNICs represented cases under scrutiny in these divisions, he added.
The minister said the government had also received complaints about Afghan nationals and citizens of other countries obtaining Pakistani identity documents through their inclusion in local family records.
Regarding the proposed dual-nationality arrangement with Oman, Chaudhry said such an agreement could only be concluded with the consent of both countries.
He said Oman had tightened visa restrictions for Pakistanis and warned of possible further measures, citing concerns raised by Omani authorities over drug-related offences and serious crimes involving Pakistani nationals.
Chaudhry added that traditional tribal and family connections across borders could not override legal nationality and documentation requirements.
He also cited information provided by Saudi Arabia, claiming that 5,000 people had entered the country using forged Pakistani documents and that all of them were Afghan nationals.
The minister maintained that disputed identity-card cases would be reviewed individually and that documents could be restored where the grounds for blocking them were no longer valid.
