The National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) on Monday refuted the claims of blocking the CNICs of 18 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leaders including former ministers.

A spokesperson for the authority said that NADRA has not taken any such action nor it has been directed by any court in the matter. He went on to add that the interior ministry has not directed to initiate such a process to block the CNICs.

Earlier, reports had claimed that the authority blocked the CNICs of 18 PTI leaders, including former minister Hammad Azhar and Murad Saeed currently facing charges in various cases related to the May 9 riots.

The authority issued the rebuttal after several on X, formerly known as Twitter, inquired whether the leaders would be able to participate in the upcoming elections as the blocking of their CNICs made rounds in the media.

PTI leaders Ali Amin Gandapur, Muhammad Aslam Iqbal, Malik Karamat Khokhar, Wasiq Qayyum Abbasi, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, Zubair Khan Niazi, Malik Nadeem Abbas, and Ghulam Mohiuddin Dewan were also reported to be among the leaders who had their CNICs blocked by the NADRA.

It was reported that CNICs were blocked after a police request and would remain blocked till the investigation concludes in the cases.

It is pertinent to mention that the Punjab police on December 14 requested to block CNICs of the 18 PTI leaders who were declared proclaimed offenders in the cases of arson and vandalism on May 9 and 10, APP reported.

According to the spokesperson for Punjab police, it was written in the letter addressed to NADRA chairman that technical and forensic evidence found irrefutable proofs of the involvement of these accused in the tragic events of May 9.

The accused have neither joined the investigation nor have appeared in the anti-terrorism court so far.