LAHORE (Lord Media): The Lahore High Court has ruled that family courts cannot order the blocking of a citizen’s national identity card. The court annulled the decisions of the Gujrat Sessions Court and Family Court. Justice Muzammil Akhtar Shabbir accepted the petition of citizen Nasir Ali Ranjha, stating that a national identity card is a fundamental identification that cannot be taken away.
The ruling stated that the Supreme Court has already established legal principles regarding blocking identity cards, and lower courts cannot issue such orders. Petitioner Nasir Ali Ranjha informed the court that the family court ordered the blocking of his ID card at his wife’s request.
According to the petitioner’s lawyer, his client was not present in Pakistan when the family court issued the order, which is against the law. The Lahore High Court declared that a national identity card is linked to a citizen’s fundamental rights, legal status, and daily affairs, and blocking it violates basic rights.
The court further stated that the Supreme Court has clear directives regarding blocking identity cards, and lower courts cannot deviate from these principles. The court annulled the decisions of the family court and sessions court, approving the petition.
