KARACHI, Sept 7: Despite the tall claims by the National Database Registration Authority for making the procedure of computerized national identity cards easier, people have been facing problems in obtaining the cards.

People complain that they are not issued computerized national identity cards (CNICs) even after many months of submission of their forms. Many of them say that they have to apply again for identity cards, as they are informed by the Nadra officials that their data has been lost.

Apart from the data lost, a woman complained that she had applied for three times to obtain computerized identity card. However, she was informed that she could not be issued the card. On her query, she was told that a new card had already been issued on the old ID card number that she possessed.

Babra Wasti had applied for a new ID card in Aug 2001 and she got a receipt No.1002767. After a lapse of one year, she was informed that the data, she had sent, was lost and she was requested to apply again for the same.

She applied again at Nadra’s swift centre for an urgent delivery in Nov 2002 with a receipt No.KR00040656. After eight months, she was issued a new computerized card No.42201-81094228 on her old NIC No.517-56-184314. However, she found that the data and picture on the new card was not of her. At that time too, she was asked by Nadra officials to apply again for the card.

Ms Wasti applied once again for the card with a receipt No.KE0008710 at a Nadra’s swift centre. And she was told that her request had been rejected, as a new ID card on her old NIC number was already issued to another woman, Shabana. She was informed that she could not get a new ID card on her old ID card number.

She asked the authorities if they had mistakenly issued the card to another person, they should cancel it and issue the same to the genuine person instead of turning down her request.

It is pertinent here to note that Hanifa Akhtar Wasti, mother of Babra Wasti, had applied for the new card and got the same in Aug 2003. The names of all her family members, including that of Babra Wasti, were mentioned in the form submitted by Hanifa Akhtar Wasti.

A 69-year-old resident of North Karachi, Muhammad Tayyab, complained that he had submitted seven forms of his family in the year 2001. One of his sons received the new computerized ID card.

However, after a lapse of eight months, he went to district registration office at North Nazimabad to know the status of the cards. He said, “Being an old man it was difficult for me to went upstairs, still I went and met Mr Jaffri. Though I did not know his designation, I showed him receipts of the forms, which I had submitted. He said there was no record of these forms and I should resubmit the forms.”

Mr Tayyab, who possessed his old ID card No.503-36-000036, said he resubmitted the forms in June 2003, where again he was issued new receipts Nos.J054790, J054792 to J0547906.

Later, he was informed that the new cards would be delivered at Awami Markaz. He found a heavy crowd at Nadra office in Awami Markaz. As he managed to reach the window, he was informed that there was no record of the submitted forms. The officials asked him to go to Nazimabad swift centre and when he went there, the same reply was given to him.

Mr Tayyab again went to North Nazimabad district registration office and met Mr Jaffri, who sent him to Mr Rehan at Nadra’s swift centre, North Nazimabad. He was informed that the forms he had submitted were lost and he should take all family members at the swift centre to reapply for obtaining new computerized cards.