Mazaj News (Web Desk) The Lahore High Court has ruled that a Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) cannot be considered the personal movable property of a citizen, and therefore cannot be seized, blocked, or attached by civil courts as a means of enforcement in legal proceedings.
The verdict was issued by Justice Tanveer Ahmad Sheikh at the Multan Bench while hearing a constitutional petition filed by Muhammad Ali Ansari. The petitioner had challenged the blocking of his CNIC by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), which had acted on the instructions of a civil court during execution proceedings.
According to case details, a civil suit had been filed against the petitioner, but he only became aware of it after his CNIC was blocked following court directives.
The petitioner’s lawyer argued that the civil court’s action violated Section 18(2) of the Nadra Ordinance, 2000. He maintained that civil courts do not have the legal authority to instruct NADRA to block an individual’s CNIC, and that NADRA’s compliance with such an order was unlawful.
On the other hand, a legal representative for NADRA defended the action, claiming that a CNIC should be treated as movable property, which allows courts to confiscate or block it to compel a person’s appearance and ensure legal compliance.
However, in his detailed judgment, Justice Sheikh clarified that although a CNIC is a physical document, it does not fall under the legal definition of movable property. He explained that the CNIC is simply an identification document issued by the federal government and does not grant ownership rights to the holder.
The court further emphasized that the CNIC remains the property of the state under the Nadra Ordinance, 2000, and cannot be transferred or inherited like personal assets. Therefore, it cannot be subjected to attachment or confiscation under laws governing movable property.
The judge concluded that civil courts lack the jurisdiction to block or seize CNICs as a coercive measure. Such actions, he noted, can only be taken by NADRA itself, and only under specific legal grounds such as fraud, duplication, or ineligibility.
Declaring NADRA’s action illegal and without lawful authority, the court ordered the immediate restoration of the petitioner’s CNIC. NADRA was also directed to submit a compliance report within 15 days.