LHC Orders Removal of NADRA Chairman Lt. Gen. Munir Afsar

The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday ordered the removal of Lieutenant General Muhammad Munir Afsar as Chairman of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

The court’s decision came after citizen Ashba Kamran filed a petition challenging the appointment of Lt. Gen. Munir Afsar as NADRA Chairman. Justice Asim Hafeez delivered the verdict, accepting the petition against his appointment.

Lt. Gen. Afsar had been appointed as NADRA Chairman by the caretaker federal government on October 2, 2023. The appointment was made following a caretaker cabinet meeting led by Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar, after considering a shortlist of candidates proposed by the Ministry of Interior.

Lt. Gen. Munir Afsar took over from Asad Rehman Gillani, who had assumed the role in 2023 after the resignation of Tariq Malik, who stepped down a year before his term ended. Afsar, who was among 12 major generals promoted in October 2022, was selected under Rule 7A of the NADRA Rules 2020, allowing the appointment of serving officers ranked Grade 21 or higher in the national interest.