July 3, 2024
By Shaukat Korai
KARACHI
Sadia, a 55-year-old woman from Orangi Town, Karachi, along with her children, has been fighting for the issuance of citizenship, identity cards, and Pakistani passports for the past four years. Their plea is currently under hearing in the Sindh High Court.
Although the government issued them non-computerized identity cards and passports, it now considers these documents fake.
Sadia and her family are among the many Bengalis settled in Karachi lacking proper identification documents. They moved to Pakistan after the creation of Bangladesh.
Professor Dr. Tauseef Ahmed notes that human trafficking, particularly involving Bengali women brought to Pakistan, occurred after Bangladesh’s creation. This practice has ended, but it has left many individuals with disputed identity documents.
Pakistani authorities maintain that they cannot issue identity cards and passports based on fake documents, insisting that those illegally residing in the country must return to their homelands.
Sadia Bibi’s lawyer argues that if the documents are fake, action should be taken against those who issued them. The lack of valid identity documents severely impacts Sadia’s family, preventing them from accessing healthcare and education. The lawyer warns that without education and job opportunities, individuals like Sadia and her children may be pushed towards criminal activities.