ISLAMABAD: The Nat­ional Database and Regis­tration Authority (Nadra) has launched a new system of online verification of family tree and renewal of computerised national identity cards (CNICs).

Under the system, Pakis­tani citizens will be able to receive and verify the details of their family members via SMS on their mobile phones by sending an SMS mentioning their CNIC number and its issuance date to 8009. In response, the sender will receive details of his/her family members.

“If any information is incorrect or the name of a stranger or unrelated person is included in the family, write 1 and send the SMS to inform Nadra, or go to any Nadra Registration Centre to unregister that name,” the authority’s chairman Tariq Malik said in a statement on Saturday. If the information is correct, write 2 and send the SMS to confirm the information. To avail the verification and renewal service, it is necessary to register the SMS with Nadra from the same mobile number which was provided at the Nadra Registration Centre while seeking the ID card or “B” form.

“If your mobile number is not registered with Nadra, you can visit any Nadra centre for registration or change of mobile number, and this facility is provided free of cost at all Nadra Registration Centres,” the statement said.

Nadra has introduced the IT-based solution for online renewal of CNICs to prevent human interaction during the social distancing era as part of Covid-19 precautionary measures.

Under the system, “a Pakistani can verify that no stranger or unrelated person is registered in their family, if there is any improper entry, they should report it [to] Nadra at the earliest,” said the authority’s statement.

Nadra has launched an awareness campaign titled “Your family is safe, Pakistan is safe”.

The system would also help the authority check foreigners illegally living in Pakistan, the statement added.

This issue was discussed recently during a visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan to Nadra headquarters where he discussed with Nadra authorities reports from the security establishment that foreigners illegally living in Pakistan too possessed CNICs and that needed to be checked.

Mr Malik told the PM that innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence would be used to make Nadra database free of any kind of false entries and to detect fake identity cards.

The PM was also briefed on the roadmap of the Nadra in relation to the Digital Pakistan initiative.

Published in Dawn, August 22nd, 2021