The Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice presided over by Senator Muhammad Javed Abbasi met here and discussed in detail the inclusion of names of individuals in the Black List as well as its legal position. The committee directed Secretary Interior Major Azam Suleman Khan (retd), DG FIA Bashir Ahmed Memon, and DG Imagination and Passport Ishrat Ali to brief the committee during the next meeting about the law under which they place names of individuals on the list.
"The committee should also be informed how names of many people have so far been placed on Black List and on whose orders the concerned department places names of individuals on the list to prevent them from travelling abroad," Abbasi said.
Senator Mian Raza Rabbani said that under which law the FIA included names of people in the Black List and who directed the agency in this regard.
Senator Nawaz Mustafa Khokhar said that the secretary interior during a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights said that there is no law except Exit Control List (ECL) to prevent people from going abroad. However, he also told the committee that the FIA prepared a list, which is called Provisional National Identification List (PNIL), and through it FIA stops the people at airport from leaving the country.
The committee also discussed in detail the issue related to proposed legislation for providing simple mechanism in order to address the miseries and difficulties of common citizens in obtaining succession certificates and other related matters, which may include declaring the family-tree prepared by the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), as succession certificate and objection, if any, can be filed in the court of law subsequently.
Abbasi said that the committee has reviewed in detail the proposed government bill related to the matter. The people face a lot of difficulties in obtaining succession certification; therefore, it is the need of the hour to prepare a proper mechanism in this regard, he added.
Federal Minister for Law and Justice Barrister Dr Muhammad Farogh Naseem said if the parliamentarians are facing problems in getting succession certificates then what happens with the ordinary people, adding that 90 percent certificate would be obtained easily under the new law, he added.
The law minister said that there is a need to use modern technology for getting succession certificate. The courts take family tree from the Nadra for succession certificate, he said, adding that the court does not deliver verdict without seeking information from the NADRA.
Rabbani said that according to the Nadra chairman, they neither have the capacity and nor can guarantee transparency related to the matter. Senator Dr Shahzad Waseem said that the Nadra does not have a compete data of birth certificates and marriage certificates.
Senator Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo said there is no record of more than 60 percent marriages as Nikah (marriage in Islam) is done verbally. On this, Naseem said that suggestion of different bar associations have been taken during the preparation of the bill while detailed consultations have been made with the Nadra in this regard. With the help of establishing single unit for the matter, the system can be streamlined, he said.
The DG Nadra said that at first the law should be framed for Islamabad as a pilot project and later the whole country can be included. Rabbani while annoying over the statement of DG NADRA said that the people enter the family trees of others on the basis of wrong information; therefore, it would have very dangerous results.
Senator Siraj-ul-Haq said that the Nadra has made fake computerised national identity cards (CNICs) of thousands of people. The Nadra should streamline its basic job, he said, adding that by giving relief to five percent people, 95 percent can be saved from different problems.
Khokar said that the Nadra has done no homework so far regarding total cost as well as the methodology for distribution of inherited property. On this, the DG Nadra said that the record of Nikah, birth and death certificate is available with local government. The system would be made online and then the data of union councils will be available to the Nadra, he added.
The minister said that the officials from concerned department and computer programmers will be appointed in the unit and wherever they face any problem, they will send the matter to the concerned department. The committee deferred the matter till its next meeting.