LAHORE – The Lahore High Court has declared the appointment of Lieutenant General Munir Afser as chairman of National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) null and void, ordering his removal from the position.
The decision was made by Justice Asim Hafeez on a petition challenging the appointment of the NADRA chairman.
The petition argued that the caretaker government approved the appointment of a serving army officer by amending the NADRA law, and that the caretaker government should not interfere in permanent policy matters.
The petitioner requested the court to annul the amendments in NADRA rules and to declare the appointment of the serving military officer as NADRA Chairman invalid.
In October 2023, the caretaker federal government had approved the appointment of Lt Gen Mohammad Munir Afsar as NADRA chairman.
The serving general had replaced Asad Rehman Gilani as chairman of the authority, responsible for issuing identity cards and other related documents to Pakistani citizens.
Before his appointment as Nadra chairman, he was serving as Inspector General Communication & Information Technology, (IG C&IT). He belongs to 16 Punjab Regiment and 81 PMA Long Course.
Lt Gen Afsar, who is also recipient of Hilal-e-Imtiaz (Military), was promoted to the three-star rank, in October 2022.
