PHC rejects writ petition of ex-Nadra employee

Issuance of CNIC to Sharbat Gula

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday dismissed the writ petition of a former employee of the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra).

The petitioner, Palwasha Afridi, was seeking the cancellation of the first information report (FIR) against her for the issuance of computerised national identity card (CNIC) to Sharbat Gula.

A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel and Justice Lal Jan Khattak dismissed the petition filed by Palwasha Afridi, the former assistant director Nadra. She had requested the court to cancel the FIR against her as she was innocent and was unlawfully implicated in the case.

She stated that under the law, a complaint should have been made to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). She said there was no complaint against her and the FIA charged her unlawfully in the case.

On the other hand, the special anti-corruption and immigration court judge Farah Jamshed directed the prosecution to inform the court about the co-accused in the case and furnish the Challan till December 1.

“It is in the notice of the court that their bail before arrest applications are pending in this court, but the co-accused have also filed a writ petition for cancellation of the FIR before the Peshawar High Court,” the order stated.

The FIR noted that after the completion of inquiry and checking of Nadra record, it was established that three employees of Nadra Peshawar offices, including Palwasha Afridi, Mohsin Ehsan and Emad fraudulently issued Pakistani CNICs to three Afghan nationals, including Sharbat Gula, Wali Khan and Rauf Khan.

Palwasha Afridi and Mohsin Ehsan secured pre-arrest bail from a court in the case while the third official Emad was arrested by the FIA and was on judicial remand.