Pakistan National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), has impounded over 80,000 dubious Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) in the last five years.
According to the data available with Daily Times, the authority shared province wise details of impounded NICs which includes Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Punjab, Sindh, Balochistan, Islamabad, Gilgit Baltistan and Azad Kashmir.
The NADRA put total 80,847 CNICs in impoundment list while KP stands on top regarding this issue as 28,645 citizens’ national identity put into question by the authority followed by Balochistan and Punjab with confiscation of 21, 839 and 13,899 CNICs respectively.
Similarly, 14,076 national identity cards are blocked/under verification in Sindh, 1,259 in Islamabad, 667 in Azad Kashmir and 462 in GB.
The authority can cancel, impound or confiscate the cards under section 18 of NADRA Ordinance 2000, by calling upon individual to show cause based upon reasons including the card has been obtained by a persons who is not eligible to hold such card by posting himself as eligible, more than one cards have been obtained by the same person on same eligibility criteria, the particulars shown on the cards have been obliterated or tempered or card is forged.
Previously, NADRA had blocked or withheld CNICs of around 100,000 citizens when the authority found the status was suspect. Practice had been followed when the authority was in a drive to intensify its exercise to identify ‘aliens’ /suspects among the CNIC holders.
The NADRA has a foolproof system. According to the sources, most of the blocked or suspected CNICs are issued to Afghans. “Despite a state-of-the-art computerized system, how could it be possible to issue the CNIC to non-nationals?” commented an official at the NADRA.
“The NADRA cannot issue or renew the CNICs to those who have no history of being Pakistanis. Without having a record with NADRA like that of a family tree how can the authority issue CNICs to aliens,” he questioned”
Some of the blocked number of people are purely Pakistanis background have expressed their concerns against said action saying that they had been wondering as to how the NADRA could block their CNICs after seeing the proof of their being Pakistanis.
Meanwhile, NADRA shifted its services from website to mobile application earlier last month. The decision came as a response to challenges faced by citizens, particularly overseas Pakistanis, who struggled with the website’s interface, including issues with scanning and uploading fingerprints and documents. The closure of the website is also aimed at combating fraudulent activities.
The development was announced by minister for interior Minister Naqvi who stated that scammers were exploiting fake websites to assist in creating forged identity documents and misusing citizens personal information.
To enhance user convenience, NADRA has revamped its mobile app to include all services previously available on the website. Citizens can now apply for ID cards, NICOP, POC, B-Forms, and FRCs from their homes, he had said.
The minister also revealed that NADRA was on track to establish offices in all tehsils across Pakistan by the same deadline. Only 19 tehsils remain without Nadra offices, and work is progressing rapidly to ensure these are operational by March 31.
The move underscores the government’s commitment to enhancing accessibility and combating fraud, providing a seamless and secure experience for citizens nationwide.
