SC orders issuance of CNICs to transgender persons within 15 days
July 05, 2018
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the issuance of computerised national identity cards (CNIC) to transgender persons within 15 days.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar Nisar, while presiding over the suo motu hearing of non-issuance of CNICs to transgender persons, asked National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) chairman Usman Mubeen whether transgender persons were being issued CNICs.
The NADRA chairman told the CJP, “90 per cent CNICs have been issued so far.”
“We are also using mobile registration units to issue CNICs,” he added.
However, the chief justice said, “I was expecting that all CNICs would have been issued by today.”
“SC order for issuance of CNICs to transgender persons was not limited to Punjab,” he added.
To this, the NADRA chairman said, “A meeting for representatives from all four provinces will be held sometime this month.”
Directing that Justice (retd) Arif be made head of a special committee ensuring issuance of CNICs, Justice Nisar said, “I had earlier asked that transgender persons should not be asked for medical certificates as it is not part of NADRA’s policy.”
Transgender activist Almas Bobby told the chief justice, “We are not called to any meetings.”
Responding to Bobby, Justice Nisar said, “I am hearing the case on the basis of human rights.”
“There is also a lot of politics within the transgender community,” he added.
Justice Nisar then ordered that the issue of non-issuance of CNICs to transgender persons be addressed within 15 days and adjourned the hearing of the case for an indefinite period of time.
On June 18, the CJP ordered to form a special committee to ensure the issuance of CNIC to transgender persons.
The top judge had taken suo motu notice of the issue on June 16.
A press release issued by the Supreme Court stated that the chief justice took notice after his visit to Foundation House in Lahore, where transgender persons complained to him regarding non-issuance of CNICs.
Fountain House is a shelter facility that was recently opened in Lahore’s Rachna Town for transgender persons. The facility houses transgender people aged 50 or above, as well as those seeking treatment for diseases such as AIDS and hepatitis. Transgender people are provided with food and medical treatment free of cost at the shelter home.
Although the law in Pakistan promises all the basic rights to transgender persons in the country, they continue to face difficulties in getting access to such services.
