Altering faith on ID playing cards by way of NADRA in Pakistan shouldn’t be allowed for converts from Islam. (Screenshot from My Urdu World on YouTube)
LAHORE, Pakistan (Christian Each day Worldwide–Morning Star Information) – In a uncommon improvement, a excessive court docket in Pakistan final month ordered the federal government to concern a brand new identification card reflecting a lady’s conversion from Islam to Christianity, her lawyer stated.
The girl, whose identify is withheld for safety causes, renounced Islam and married a Christian man 15 years in the past.
Lawyer Lazar Allah Rakha stated that for years she had repeatedly tried to get her religion designation corrected on her nationwide identification report, however officers on the Nationwide Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) defiantly refused. She transformed to Christianity in January 2009 and married the Christian 4 months later.
“The couple has 5 kids and are settled in a district in South Punjab for the reason that time of their marriage,” he stated.
After her efforts to get a brand new identification card failed, the lady sought assist from advocacy group Christian Solidarity Worldwide, which engaged Rakha, a Christian lawyer recognized for taking on delicate circumstances pertaining to spiritual freedom in Pakistan. He filed a petition within the Lahore Excessive Courtroom submitting that she had transformed to Christianity of her personal free will and married a Christian in a ceremony officiated by a pastor.
“The couple has 5 kids, however although NADRA has issued the youngsters’s B-Type, it didn’t embody the mom’s identification card quantity within the doc, ostensibly attributable to her marriage with a Christian,” Rakha instructed Christian Each day Worldwide-Morning Star Information. “When the petitioner once more went to get her identification doc corrected within the NADRA information in October 2024, the officers there refused to just accept her Christian baptism certificates, marriage certificates and delivery certificates of her kids and as a substitute threatened her with dire penalties for renouncing her Islamic religion.”
Rakha stated that on July 1, a single-member bench comprising Justice Shahid Karim ordered NADRA to deal with the lady’s case as a “mistaken entry” and concern her a brand new identification card with Christianity as her religion.
“NADRA’s denial to concern an grownup girl her identification card along with her new religion was a transparent violation of Article 20 of the Structure of Pakistan, which ensures each citizen the fitting to profess, observe and propagate their faith,” he stated. “It additionally violates Articles 4 and 9 of the Structure that assure safety of regulation and safety of life to each citizen.”
The lawyer stated that the couple was thrilled to lastly acquire the lady’s new identification card.
“That they had confronted a number of challenges over time attributable to this concern, together with acquiring delivery registration certificates for his or her kids and getting them enrolled in class,” he stated. “Now they’re relieved that the years-long battle has lastly come to an finish.”
He clarified that there is no such thing as a particular regulation in Pakistan that explicitly criminalizes apostasy, which some faculties of Islamic jurisprudence think about a sin punishable by dying.
“Nonetheless, apostasy can result in prosecution underneath Pakistan’s blasphemy legal guidelines, significantly Part 295-A that prescribes imprisonment of as much as 10 years for hurting spiritual sentiments of any group,” Rakha stated. “Moreover, societal stigma and potential violence from vigilante teams are actual threats for many who select to transform to different faiths. That is the rationale why most converts to Christianity keep away from going to courts and like to stay secret believers all their lives.”
Muslims can not change their spiritual designation within the NADRA’s Computerized Nationwide Establish Card (CNIC) to every other faith, whereas individuals who convert to Islam from different faiths can get their CNICs amended, in response to the CNIC’ registration coverage. The coverage states, nonetheless, that any mistake by candidates to state their faith accurately attributable to illiteracy “could also be dealt with in workplace fault class.”
Pakistan ranked eighth on Open Doorways’ 2025 World Watch Listing of probably the most tough locations to be a Christian.
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