The Lahore High Court has directed the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to correct the final digit of a citizen’s Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) number. The court also upheld the decisions of the lower courts while dismissing NADRA’s appeal.
Justice Mohsin Akhtar Kayani heard the case involving citizen Sajid Maqsood and observed that his official record had previously listed him as female. Although the record was later corrected and NADRA issued a new identity card, the final digit of the CNIC number was not changed.
The court was informed that the incorrect information continued to appear in the records of various institutions. As a result, the citizen continued to face discrepancies in official records even after the correction of his gender-related information.
During the proceedings, the court noted that NADRA had failed to establish any clear legal prohibition against correcting the identity number. The court observed that an error cannot be allowed to continue indefinitely merely on administrative or technical grounds.
The Lahore High Court further directed that if changing the existing identity number is legally necessary, NADRA should issue a new number. At the same time, the court stressed that the citizen’s previous record should be transferred to the new number to prevent the creation of a separate or duplicate identity.
The court also pointed toward the need for possible amendments to the relevant law governing the issuance of identity numbers. The observation highlights the importance of ensuring that technical procedures do not create continuing problems for citizens whose official records require correction.
NADRA has been directed to submit a compliance report within 60 days. The ruling reinforces the principle that genuine errors in identity records should be addressed through an appropriate legal and administrative mechanism rather than being allowed to cause continuing difficulties for citizens.
