ISLAMABAD: In a significant move to ensure the integrity and accuracy of Pakistan’s national identity system, the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) has cancelled approximately 4.2 million Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs), affecting individuals who were recorded as deceased in provincial civil registration systems.
Despite formal deaths being registered with local authorities like union councils and town committees, next of kin frequently fail to apply for CNIC cancellation, leading to discrepancies between civil records and Nadra’s database. This discrepancy has now prompted Nadra to take action under its statutory mandate, which includes reconciling vital life event information from CRMS data with the national citizen database.
Nadra’s statement explains that these records are initially reported by blood relatives but must be registered at local civil registration authorities such as union councils and cantonment boards. Under the legal framework governing Nadra, the authority is mandated to ensure accurate and secure identity databases by updating CNICs based on official death reports from CRMS.
To date, Nadra has already waived the cancellation fee and removed the requirement for depositing a deceased person’s CNIC document, incentivizing timely applications through these measures. Families of deceased individuals have voluntarily canceled around 3 million CNICs so far. However, more than 4.2 million CNICs remain active despite death registrations in civil systems, highlighting persistent issues with information dissemination and verification.
In cases where a death might be incorrectly reported or suspected fraudulent, Nadra has implemented an alternative process for citizens facing difficulties due to CNIC cancellation post-death registration. These individuals can visit any Nadra registration center, undergo biometric authentication, and their CNICs will be restored immediately without additional fees. Upon restoration, recipients are informed about the local authority where death registration was made and details of the relative responsible.
To address ongoing challenges with birth registration, Nadra has launched a nationwide outreach initiative to strengthen ties between birth records in provincial or local civil systems and the national identity database. Approximately 14 million children have been registered in these systems but not yet linked with Nadra’s system. The authority is encouraging parents or guardians to complete the necessary registrations for their child’s Child Registration Certificates (CRC/B-forms), thus integrating them into the national identity framework.
In parallel, Nadra plans to introduce a new e-Sahulat franchise network enabling citizens to obtain CRC/B-forms through easily accessible outlets across Pakistan. This initiative aims to enhance child registration services nationwide and reduce barriers in accessing these essential documents for both individuals and families.
These combined efforts underscore Nadra’s commitment to safeguarding the accuracy of Pakistan’s national identity system, ensuring that active CNIC records are aligned with official death reports and birth registrations, thus maintaining a robust and trustworthy identification infrastructure.