ISLAMABAD, Dec 3: Twelve-year-old Mohammad Ameen living in the SOS village Rawalpindi has no future. Being an orphan with unknown parentage and having no guardian, he will not be given the citizenship of Pakistan.
At present, such children living in orphan houses all over the country are not issued identity cards by the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) when they reach the age of 18 years though they are included in the population census.
Last year, the Supreme Court ordered that gender-confused people should be issued identity cards and given the right to voting and inheritance in property. However, orphans with no guardians are still deprived of the right to get national identity cards.
“Like Ameen, we have several children who have reached 18 years of age but are not allowed to cast vote, register for higher education and get married because they have no CNICs,” Hoor Fatima, director of the SOS village, told Dawn.
“I am not aware of the total number of children with unknown parentage in Pakistan,” she added. The SOS village is looking after some 146 orphans among them a few are unclaimed.
A senior Edhi Centre official added that Edhi had been given some 15,000 babies of unknown parents for adoption during the last two decades.
“We have seen unclaimed children facing difficulties after reaching the age of 18 and we are uncertain what future they have in a nation which has not given them any identity,” said Ms Fatima.
“Specifically, female orphans with unknown parentage face the brunt of the identity issue, like they hardly get married and things are tough for them.”
Senior lawyer Athar Minallah, when approached for comments, maintained: “Nadra requires information about parentage of children for issuance of an identity card as it also relates to the inheritance right.”
However, children without known parentage still have the fundamental right to be the citizen of Pakistan and need an identity, he observed.
The lawyer said no individual can be deprived of his fundamental rights as given in the constitution. These fundamental rights include equality of status, opportunity and before law, social, economic and political justice and freedom of thought, expression, belief, faith, worship and association subject to the law and public morality. He said rights were not given to children with unknown parentage.
Meanwhile, deputy chairman Nadra Tariq Malick said: “The matter is sub judice with the Supreme Court and a committee headed by Justice (retired) Khalilur Rehman Ramday is looking into the matter. The application was filed by Abdul Sattar Edhi.”
Nadra has already prepared a draft for issuance of identity cards to individuals whose parentage is not known, he added. Mr Malick claimed that Nadra would be able to submit its report to the court in two weeks.
The official said during the last two years Nadra had taken opinions from religious scholars in Iran, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, including the Council of Islamic Ideology, and done extensive work in this regard.
At present, such children living in orphan houses all over the country are not issued identity cards by the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) when they reach the age of 18 years though they are included in the population census.
Last year, the Supreme Court ordered that gender-confused people should be issued identity cards and given the right to voting and inheritance in property. However, orphans with no guardians are still deprived of the right to get national identity cards.
“Like Ameen, we have several children who have reached 18 years of age but are not allowed to cast vote, register for higher education and get married because they have no CNICs,” Hoor Fatima, director of the SOS village, told Dawn.
“I am not aware of the total number of children with unknown parentage in Pakistan,” she added. The SOS village is looking after some 146 orphans among them a few are unclaimed.
A senior Edhi Centre official added that Edhi had been given some 15,000 babies of unknown parents for adoption during the last two decades.
“We have seen unclaimed children facing difficulties after reaching the age of 18 and we are uncertain what future they have in a nation which has not given them any identity,” said Ms Fatima.
“Specifically, female orphans with unknown parentage face the brunt of the identity issue, like they hardly get married and things are tough for them.”
Senior lawyer Athar Minallah, when approached for comments, maintained: “Nadra requires information about parentage of children for issuance of an identity card as it also relates to the inheritance right.”
However, children without known parentage still have the fundamental right to be the citizen of Pakistan and need an identity, he observed.
The lawyer said no individual can be deprived of his fundamental rights as given in the constitution. These fundamental rights include equality of status, opportunity and before law, social, economic and political justice and freedom of thought, expression, belief, faith, worship and association subject to the law and public morality. He said rights were not given to children with unknown parentage.
Meanwhile, deputy chairman Nadra Tariq Malick said: “The matter is sub judice with the Supreme Court and a committee headed by Justice (retired) Khalilur Rehman Ramday is looking into the matter. The application was filed by Abdul Sattar Edhi.”
Nadra has already prepared a draft for issuance of identity cards to individuals whose parentage is not known, he added. Mr Malick claimed that Nadra would be able to submit its report to the court in two weeks.
The official said during the last two years Nadra had taken opinions from religious scholars in Iran, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, including the Council of Islamic Ideology, and done extensive work in this regard.
