ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Wednesday directed the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to submit reply over charging of extra fee on National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistan (NICOP). 

The court asked the NADRA to explain about its policy regarding issuance and cancellation of overseas Pakistanis cards and fixation of fee.

A three-member bench of the apex court headed by Chief Justice Saqib Nisar heard the case.

During the course of proceedings, the Chief Justice asked the NADRA Chairman to provide a copy of the working paper on which policy for cancelation and issuance of NICOP was decided. $16 fee was being charged from citizens residing in the country for the Executive Smart Card and $100 from overseas Pakistanis which was a discriminatory act, he remarked.

The NADRA Chairman apprised the court that the Authority had not changed its fee schedule for overseas Pakistanis since 2012. It was was charging $72 for regular card, $ 83 for urgent card and $100 for executive card.

He said that those Pakistanis, who had withdrawn citizenship, applied to NADRA for Pakistan Origin Card. Charges for the normal origin card were $ 150, for urgent card $ 200 and for executive card $ 250 while $ 300 was charged for cancellation of Pakistan Origin Card, he added.

The Chief Justice remarked that it was discriminatory to charge $ 100 fee on executive card from Pakistanis living in Europe.

Later, the court directed the NADRA to submit written response over fixation of NICOP fee and adjourned the hearing of the case till date in office.

-APP