naturalized citizenship.55 The stateless Rohingya population in Pakistan predominantly consists of those impacted by the separation of east and west Pakistan and the creation of Bangladesh. Issue I Documentation and Registration 23. The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) Ordinance 2000 plays a prominent role in the challenges that those at risk of statelessness face in accessing registration and documentation. The NADRA Ordinance 2000 established the National Database and Registration Authority, which is the government agency responsible for facilitating the registration processes and the operation of a centralized database of citizens with the family tree of each person. NADRA is not mandated to determine nationality; however, NADRA is responsible for issuing Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs) to citizens of Pakistan. CNICs act as the most common proof of citizenship in Pakistan and are necessary to exercise key rights, including voter registration, child registration, ownership of immovable property and acquisition of travel documents. Persons who lack other documentary proof can be eligible to apply for a CNIC by providing any two witnesses who hold CNICs. However, concerns have been raised about the implementation of this measure. NADRA officials have insufficient understanding of these governing laws and policies, or appear unwilling to implement them. Further, members of stateless communities with CNICs frequently report their cards being suspended or blocked. 24. Stateless communities have suffered from delay and discriminatory policies vis-à-vis documentation and legal identity. Despite provisions to regulate access of citizenship by birth, a huge gap remains in terms of implementation of the law with respect to stateless communities. The digitization of CNICs in Pakistan results in more stringent requirements of registration, which increased discrimination against the Bengali, Bihari and other communities, who have limited access to documentation, if any. Bihari and Bengali communities that are entitled to documentation remain largely discriminated against and excluded from registration processes. Moreover, Bengalis and Rohingyas have endured regular harassment by the police for bribes and arrests as these communities are denied computerized National ID Cards.56 25. Stateless people face varied forms of discrimination depending on the ethnic group they belong to. Even though the nationality law provides that any person with documents that prove domicile in Pakistan before 1971 and subsequent policy 1978, can acquire citizenship, it is estimated that at least 70% of the Bengali speakers in Pakistan do not have identification documents and among them thousands have had to register as ‘aliens’ after the introduction of the digitization process.57 In July 2021, the Government of Pakistan announced that under the Alien Registration Rules 2021 (Rules 2021), Alien Registration Cards (ARC) would be issued to foreigners and immigrants to facilitate and 55 Ibid. Zia Ur Rehman, ‘Pakistan Moves towards Legalising Bengalis and Biharis, Not Rohingyas’, Geo News, (Online, 18 October 2017) https://www.geo.tv/latest/162968-pakistan-to-grant-citizenship-to-bengalis-and-biharis-notrohingyas, accessed July 1, 2022. 57 Khaula Jamil, “Women behind the Lens: ‘She Dreams of Competing Outside Pakistan but It’s Hopeless,’” The Guardian, sec. Global development, (Online, 11 March 2022), <https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2022/mar/11/women-behind-the-lens-khaula-jamilbangladeshi-pakistan-gymnastics> accessed July 13, 2022. 56 8