SWABI: Poor people are finding it difficult to get the form for obtaining computerised national identity card (CNIC) attested as they claim they are often turned away by government officials.

It is mandatory to have the Nadra form attested by a grade 16 or 17 government officer.

A local Nadra official told Dawn on condition of not being named that it was compulsory for both fresh CNIC seekers and the renewal to have the application form duly signed by a gazette government official.

People said they faced numerous problems in getting the CNIC form attested as government officers like bank officials, school and college teachersrefusedto doso on differentpretexts.

`I went to government degree college Chota Lahor to get the CNIC form attested, but teachers refused, asking him to get it done by a schoolteacher,` said Riaz Khan of Tordher.

Nizar Ali of Topi city said he was also unable to get his Nadra form attested by a government officer.

On their part, college and schoolteachers said they accommodated many people, but they stopped doing so when people started coming to them during duty hours. They, however, said card seekers could come to them for the purpose after duty hours.

The teachers said some of their colleagues were reluctant to sign the CNIC applications as hundreds of Afghans and Fata people were also settled in the district. Correspondent