ISLAMABAD, July 12: The National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) is all set to open its swift registration centres in England next week to facilitate the overseas Pakistanis in getting their Computerized National Identity Cards hassle-free.

According to official sources, the centre established in Pakistani mission at Birmingham and London, two main cities of England, which comprises a large proportion of Pakistanis, would start functioning from July 19 and 22, respectively.

The sources said Nadra, under special directives by the interior ministry, had planned establishment of swift centres in Pakistani foreign missions in different countries to facilitate the registration of Pakistanis living abroad.

Initially, these centres are planned in the countries and cities, where a large number of Pakistanis are settled. The countries on Nadra's priority list include Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates.

After establishment of the swift registration centre in England, the first in the country, Nadra plans to move with its plan of setting up these centres in Saudi Arabia and UAE, while authority is also looking at possibilities at opening more than one centre in a country to cover all population of overseas Pakistanis.

A delegation of Nadra comprising its information technology experts and others officials which visited UK had finalized the arrangements with the local authorities and informed that the centre would be operating formally by next week.

Once this centres is operation next week, people would not have to go through the cumbersome of filling the English/Urdu forms. At this centre data as well as signature and photographs will be capture, interactively.

The swift centres in the foreign mission are based on NSRC projects currently working throughout the country and providing high-tech facilities to the citizens, spokesman added have revolutionized the concept of registration.

The swift registration centres are designed as a one-stop- shop to eliminate inaccuracy in the issuance of the identity cards by minimizing human intervention in handling CNIC forms.

The Nadra Swift Registration Centres operate on the principle of live data capture and require the applicant's presence with their old NIC's and other related documentation to process a CNIC application.

At the centres, the applicants are professionally guided through a process of data entry, photo imaging, signature and thumb impression capture using latest technology and expert assistance from the trained staff.

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