Protest over issuing national identity cards to Bihari community in Pakistan

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Hundreds of people from the Biharis community in Pakistan have been witnessing difficulties as they are not being issued with computerized national identity cards (CNICs), local media reported on Monday.

A protest was organized on Sunday by the Muhibban-e-Pakistan Foundation (MPF) outside the Karachi Press Club to highlight the longstanding issue of the Bihari community, according to The News International.

MBF chief Mumtaz Ansari was attended by leaders of various political parties who demanded that the government stop the exploitation of the Biharis living in Pakistan and issue CNICs to them on an immediate basis so that they can have access to education, health care, and other basic facilities.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz District Malir President Feroz Khan said the Bihari community had been facing multiple problems, the most glaring of which was them not being able to get CNICs that resulted in denial of job opportunities and other usual perks of being a Pakistani national, The News International.

“For instance, they can’t open bank accounts, buy cars or get them registered or buy any property,” he lamented.

Other political leaders, including Dr. Shakeel of the Pakistan Tehreek -e-Insaf, Inzar Medical, and Imran Bihari, said the Bihari community was also deprived of basic amenities and jobs.

They said that there were hundreds of thousands of Biharis living in Karachi but they were not counted in the census due to not having CNICs. (ANI)