ISLAMABAD - The Interior Ministry on Thursday requested Nadra to block the National Identity Card of the former president General (R) Pervez Musharraf.

According to sources, the interior ministry made the request in a letter written to Nadra over directives from the special court.

The officials in Nadra said they had received reports of a letter being written to them, but they had not received the same. Recently, the special court ordered the federal government to take measures for Musharaff’s arrest and block his CNIC and passport.

The interior ministry gave a week to Musharraf, warning him that his NIC and passport would be blocked if he did not surrender within a week.

On March 16, a special court in its written order in a high treason case against Musharraf directed the interior ministry to take steps for the arrest and extradition of the former military dictator from Arab Emirate to Pakistan. The court comprising Peshawar High Court Chief Justice Yahya Afridi, Lahore High Court Chief Justice Yawar Ali and Justice Tahira Safdar, senior judge of the Balochistan High Court, also directed the joint secretary of the interior ministry to attach Musharraf’s properties in the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.

Court had also ordered to the interior ministry to take steps to suspend the passport and CNIC of Musharraf along with the steps to contact with Interpol for his arrest.

It also directed the Musharraf lawyer to file request for the security of the Musharraf within seven days and also inform the interior ministry regarding his client return to Pakistan.

The former army chief was indicted in the case in March 2014 after he appeared before the court and rejected all charges.

On March 18, 2016, the former president left Pakistan for Dubai for medical treatment after his name was removed from the Exit Control List over orders of the Supreme Court.

A few months later, the special court had declared him a proclaimed offender and ordered the confiscation of his property owing to his no-show.