Govt Departments Cannot Demand CNIC Copy from Citizens Requesting Information, Rules Pakistan Information Commission
Nadeem Tanoli
Islamabad: The Pakistan Information Commission (PIC) has ruled that government departments cannot demand a copy of the Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) from citizens who file information requests under the Right of Access to Information Act, 2017.
In a recent order, the Commission dismissed a public body’s objection that a citizen had not provided a CNIC copy to prove Pakistani citizenship when requesting information. The Commission stated clearly that the law does not require a citizen to submit a CNIC copy in order to exercise their right to access public information.
“If the public body believes the requester is not a citizen of Pakistan, the burden of proof lies on them to establish that claim,” the Commission noted in its decision. “No such evidence has been provided in this case; therefore, the objection is overruled.”
The case involved a citizen’s request for detailed information from the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), including the total number of sanctioned posts from BPS-1 to BPS-22, and a list of employees recruited under the Balochistan quota along with their designations, dates of appointment, and recruitment methods.
While the Commission agreed that certain personal information—such as employees’ father’s names, place of posting, and domicile certificate copies—falls under personal privacy protections and cannot be disclosed without consent, it held that the remaining details are public records and must be disclosed.
The Commission emphasized that, under Section 5(1)(a) of the Right of Access to Information Act, 2017, public bodies are legally bound to proactively publish organizational details, including the strength and structure of posts.
As a result, the Commission partially allowed the appeal, directing the Secretary (Compliance) / Designated Officer / Public Information Officer at FBR to provide the requested information (excluding personal data) to both the appellant and the Commission within 10 days.
