The Lahore High Court (LHC) has determined that family courts do not possess the jurisdiction to order the blocking of a citizen’s Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC). This decision came through an eight-page judgment authored by Justice Muzammil Akhtar Shabbir, which annulled prior rulings by the family court and the Gujrat Sessions Court that had upheld the blocking of petitioner Nasir Ali Ranjha’s CNIC.
The court emphasized that a CNIC is a fundamental proof of a citizen’s identity, and such a right cannot be revoked by family courts. It also referenced existing Supreme Court guidelines concerning the blocking of national identity cards, underscoring that these powers lie outside the remit of family courts.
The case originated from a maintenance dispute, where the petitioner’s wife sought enforcement of a financial support decree through the family court. The petitioner’s legal representative highlighted that the family court’s order to block the CNIC was challenged but dismissed by the Gujrat Sessions Court. Additionally, it was noted that the petitioner was abroad when summoned by the family court.
In a significant development, the Lahore High Court allowed the petition, ruling that family courts lack the legal authority to block CNICs. Consequently, the court declared the contested orders from the lower courts null and void, reinforcing the protection of citizens’ identity rights.
