Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi Chief Monem Zafar Khan has assured the Bengali, Burmese, and Bihari communities of the party’s unwavering support in resolving their national identity card issues. Speaking at a consultative meeting held at Idara Noor-e-Haq under the Public Aid Committee, he said, “These communities do not need a certificate to prove their patriotism or identity as Pakistanis. Discriminatory behavior and unnecessary obstacles at NADRA for obtaining identity cards are unacceptable.”
Monem emphasized that Jamaat-e-Islami will fight for their rights on every platform and, if necessary, resort to protests and sit-ins.
The meeting also featured speeches by Saifuddin Advocate, Najeeb Ayoubi, Qutub Ahmed, and Asif Azad, with significant participation from affected community members. During the session, community representatives expressed grievances over the discriminatory treatment at NADRA offices. “We are treated as foreigners and constantly asked to prove our Pakistani identity,” they lamented.
The affected individuals called for an immediate halt to house-to-house checks by intelligence and special branch teams, ensuring their collected data remains secure and is not misused.
They also highlighted issues such as children being denied school admissions due to the unavailability of B-forms and the delay in processing cases pending for years with zonal boards or the Intelligence Bureau (IB). Monem Zafar Khan underscored that the migrants from East Pakistan made immense sacrifices out of love for their homeland.
He criticized political parties like MQM and PPP for failing to address the concerns of these communities, despite holding power for decades. Saifuddin Advocate added that Jamaat-e-Islami has already helped restore over 100,000 blocked identity cards through its efforts.
“We stand firmly with these communities and will not tolerate any form of injustice against them,” he affirmed. Qutub Ahmed reiterated that every citizen has the right to a national identity card. “Anyone who migrated from Bangladesh to Pakistan is a Pakistani and has the right to live here with dignity,” he said. He further criticized the oppressive governance in Sindh and accused MQM and PPP of exploiting the people.
The meeting concluded with a resolution to expand NADRA desks to all districts of Karachi, enabling affected individuals to access services more efficiently. Monem Zafar Khan also recalled past protests led by Hafiz Naeemur Rehman against NADRA’s head office and district branches, highlighting Jamaat-e-Islami’s consistent efforts to amplify the voices of the oppressed.
