KARACHI, Oct 31: The National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), on Wednesday, distributed the first batch of computerized national identity cards among eleven early birds, who had submitted their forms in April.
In a ceremony held at its provincial headquarters, the director-general, Nadra, Brig Shahid Behram Khan, announced that they had started receiving the computerised ID cards from Islamabad in bulk, forms for which had been submitted in April and May, and so far about one hundred thousand cards have been received.
He gave the cards to eleven residents of Karachi making Faisal Qureshi, resident of Gulshan-i-Iqbal, the first Karachiite to receive the computerised ID card, while Fatima Jafery was the first among women.
The new ID card is similar to a credit card but has two pictures of its holder — one on both sides — and it is not easy to make a counterfeit of it.
Brig Behram stated that about thirty to forty thousand cards were expected to be received daily from Islamabad.
He informed that all the cards would then be segregated according to union councils as per the address given in the form, while distribution would be carried out by Nadra staff in cooperation with the area elected representatives.
He asked the public not to crowd at any Nadra office as the CNICs would be delivered at the addresses stated in the ID card, along with an acknowledgement form to be filled by the card holder or his family member.
However, if there is any mistake in the new card, the applicant must write it in the acknowledgement form, the DG stated, adding that the correction would be done by Nadra without any additional charges.
He said all cards were being received on first-in and first- out basis and refuted any favouritism or urgent CNIC policy for any one in Pakistan.
As regards CNICs in Sindhi language, he informed that the Sindh Software had been perfected with the collaboration of Sindhi Language Authority/Board in August and there would be a slight delay in their production and issuance. However, efforts were being made to expedite the process, he added. He praised the efforts and cooperation extended by the Sindhi Language Authority for developing the software in Sindhi.
Nadra has also rectified its software and the most often received complaint of direction of thumb impression (horizontal and vertical ) would not be a cause of rejection of the forms. Nevertheless, he asserted that the thumb impression had to be clearly visible and not just be a blot of ink.
Apart from usual working, he informed that Nadra was also making a directory of attestors and if any one is found in embezzlement he would be liable to fine with an imprisonment up to seven years.
Regarding the deadline for submission of forms, he said that it was Dec 31 after which the card fee would be Rs140.
Brig Behram expressed concern over the fact that Nadra had sold about seven million forms, while only 1.6 million have been received.
Replying to a question on the validity of the existing ID cards after Dec 31, he said that a proposal was under consideration to extend the date.
In the post data base system, he said, the software would automatically inform about the details of a person attaining the age of 18 years and forms would be sent to his residence.
These forms will not be required to be attested as the data would be already registered, Brig Behram said. However, all this can only be possible if the masses cooperated with the authorities and fill in their data properly.— PPI
