QUETTA: Hundreds of people on Friday the blocked main airport road in Quetta, angered by the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) decision to block suspicious national identity cards.

The protesters staged demonstrations outside Nadra's verification center, which caused suspension of traffic at airport road.

The authority has blocked more than 40,000 NICs on suspicion of being used by foreign nationals, especially Afghan refugees.

Read more: Thousands of Pakistani NICs issued to foreigners in Balochistan

Nadra's decision has been met with anger by some locals who blame it for delaying tactics in terms of issuance of cards.

"Until, our people grease the palm of Nadra officers, NICs cannot be issued," Lala Yousaf Khilji who was leading the protest demonstration told Dawn.com.

The protesters had carried placards and banners inscribed with slogans criticising and blaming Nadra officials.

"We want NICs for indigenous people rather than refugees," Khan Noor Khan, another tribal leader told Dawn.com.

The Balochistan government has already taken up the issue with Nadra and formed a verification committee headed by the Deputy Commissioner Quetta in this regard.

The committee's pace is slow and people frequently visit the DC office for verification to recieve the NIC.

"They (Nadra) are demanding bribes from us," Lala Yousaf Khilji lamented.

Despite repeated attempts, Dawn.com could not speak to Nadra officers to get their point of view.

Sources in the authority admit that thousands of NICs were issued to foreigners in general and Afghan refugees in particular.

Most of the cards have been issued to foreigners in Quetta, Killa Abdullah and Pishin districts.

"Pakistanis are denied NICs and foreigners are issued cards owing to payment of bribes," Khan Noor Khan Khilji stated.

After more than two hours, senior police officers reached the site of the demonstration and convinced protesters to open the road.