ISLAMABAD, March 21: Interior Minister Lt-Gen (Rtd) Moinuddin Haider said old national identity cards (NICs) would remain valid till all holders were issued new cards.

He was speaking at the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) while delivering the 10th million national identity card.

The minister handed over Umrah air ticket to the 10th million holder of the NIC. The lucky winner of the ticket is Najma Saif, a resident of Kahuta.

The interior minister said the system of making, issuing and delivering new NICs had been improved.

He said Nadra would soon establish 70 swift centres that would soon be inaugurated in different parts of the country.

In addition to this, he said a number of mobile units providing facilities in the remote parts of the country would also be started soon.

Regretting the errors in the recently issued NICs, the minister asked Nadra to issue fresh forms and revised NICs without any charges.

He advised Nadra to immediately finalize a deal with the Post Office administration for the sale of NIC forms at its outlets across the country.

He hoped these steps would help boost the issuance and delivery process of new NICs to the Pakistani nationals.

The minister categorically stated that it had been ensured that no foreign national should get new NIC as a number of foolproof steps had been taken. Besides, maintaining full record of the applicants, a separate record of the attesting persons were also being maintained separately that would help check unauthorized issuance of NICs.—APP