The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), has adopted a defending stance justifying its decision to charge astronomical fees for the issuance of National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (Nicop), and cancellation of Pakistan Origin Card (POC). The authority has argued that the fees are required to streamline the security operations and visa-management processes for overseas Pakistani citizens.
The stance came out when NADRA submitted a reply in Supreme Court in response to the suo motu case which challenged NADRA’s decision to charge a hefty sum for its fees on the grounds that the move was counterproductive and brought a heavy financial burden on its clients. The court observed that NADRA has hiked its fee for preparation of the POC for the overseas Pakistanis from Rs10,000 to Rs15,000.
To top it further, in case of POC cancellation, the authority charges expatriates a sum of Rs31500. This deters overseas Pakistanis from applying for the POC, the court observed. Earlier, amid growing concerns over the case, the Chief Justice of Pakistan, himself, had called for a detailed report from the chairman of NADRA.
NADRA subsequently submitted a two-page report, wherein it was mentioned that the incremental changes in fee structure have been made gradually over a period of 16 years, in accordance with the visa policy. Moreover, the issuance of both POC and NICOP is cheaper as compared to securing visa for those overseas Pakistani who renounced their Pakistani nationality or who maintain dual citizenship.
The report further noted that the price of new chip-based smart ID is comparatively up this time due to its unique features. The new chip based NIC is packed with 36 distinct security features.
In addition, the card expiry period has also been extended from seven to ten years; this gives an additional three years visa free entry in Pakistan to the NIC card owner.
According to the report, NADRA had launched a website in 2015 through which applicants could submit online visa applications, instead of visiting the embassy or NADRA office.
It is also mentioned that the total processing time for new a submission is approximately 22 minutes only, however, the delivery can take up to 7 to 10 working days. More than 230,000 applicants have successfully applied through NADRA online application gateway system thus far, the report claimed.
