The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Monday prevented authorities from deporting a petitioner identified as Quaid‑i‑Azam and ordered him to appear before the National Database and Registration Authority’s (NADRA) verification board.
A two‑member bench comprising Justice Waqar Ahmed and Justice Inamullah Khan was hearing the petition filed by the resident against the blocking of his national identity card. Advocate Saifullah Mohib Kakakhel represented the petitioner, while NADRA’s legal representative, Shahid Imran Gigiyani, appeared for the authority.
During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel informed the court that his client operates businesses in both Dubai and Pakistan. He stated that the client, a Pakistani citizen, had been paying taxes and that his national identity card had been blocked by the authorities. The counsel argued that the blocking was causing significant hardship for his client.
Kakakhel added that NADRA had requested the petitioner to produce his uncle for verification, noting that other family members also hold Pakistani identity cards. Gigiyani, assistant director of legal affairs at NADRA, told the bench that the authority had submitted its response to the court.
He explained that the petitioner’s identity card was considered suspicious, which was the basis for its suspension. After hearing arguments from both sides, the bench directed the petitioner to appear before NADRA’s verification board and prohibited his deportation until that appearance is made.