Pakistan: Information on the procedure established for acquiring an identity card
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 February 1993 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | PAK13119 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Pakistan: Information on the procedure established for acquiring an identity card, 1 February 1993, PAK13119, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6abf52c.html [accessed 20 October 2022] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
According to an official of the High Commission for Pakistan in Ottawa, the national identity card is issued by the federal Ministry of the Interior (11 Feb. 1993). The same source added that nationals of Pakistan must hold a national identity card to proove their nationality and to be entitled to their civilian rights (Ibid.). The identity card is a necessity for everyday life and Pakistani nationals cannot obtain work, apply for a passport or a driver's licence, open a bank account, seek admission to university or vote without this document (Ibid.).
A Pakistan national may apply for an identity card for himself and, if is married and has a family, for his wife and his children of less than 18 years old (Ibid.). His wife who are accounted on the same card (Ibid.). For this purpose, the applicant must go to the ward office of the Ministry of the Interior (urban areas) or to the district office of the Ministry (rural areas) to fill a form (Ibid.) The content of the application is countersigned either by a government official, a lawyer or a well respected person in the community who knows the applicant (Ibid.) The card states the applicant's name and the names of his wife and children, his permanent address, his educational qualifications, his profession and the location of his employer (Ibid.).
In October 1992, the Christian community protested against President Ghulam Ishaq Khan's decision, taken without the assent of Parliament, to record the holder's religion on the identity card (Asiaweek 30 October 1992). According to a Pakistan born professor teaching political science at the University of Massachusetts, this latest modification to the national identity card has not yet been implemented since it has drawn many critics in the country and has already been rejected by the Sindh provincial assembly (11 Feb. 1993).
For additional information on the circumstances surrounding the modification of the national identity card, please consult the attached articles.
No further information on this topic is currently available to the DIRB in Ottawa.
References
Asiaweek [Hong Kong]. 30 October 1992. "Pakistan: Card-Carrying Christians."
High Commission of Pakistan in Ottawa. 11 February 1993. Telephone conversation with a representative.
Professor of political science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. 11 February 1993. Telephone interview.
Attachments
Agence France Presse (AFP). 13 November 1992. "Protestation des chrétiens pakistanais contre la mention de la religion sur les cartes d'identité."
Asiaweek [Hong Kong]. 30 October 1992. "Pakistan: Card-Carrying Christians."
United Press International (UPI). 9 November 1993. Anwar Iqbal. "Pakistani Christians Protest New Religion Law."
The Washington Post. 21 October 1992. Molly Moore and John Ward Anderson. "Islamic Law - and Zeal - Rise to Challenge Secular Politics in Pakistan."
