SWABI: People with a single name have been facing difficulties in getting computerised national identity cards (CNIC) from the National Database and Registration Authority (Narda) in Swabi district.

The local people having single-word names, like Babar or Tahir, claimed on Tuesday that Nadra officials had told them that it was not possible to make their computerised identity cards. Majority of such people not having proper two-part names – including the family name – belonged to poor families. They said that their parents liked one-word names.

When asked, a 20-year-old Babar said that when he applied for CNIC he was told that he did not have the second part of the name and as such could not be issued the card.

Another person, named Umer, said he had been told that his name should have the second part and only then he could be given the card. A farmer said that he had also been facing a similar problem in case of his daughter, Gulmeena.

Officials said that according to the international standard each person should have his/her name in three parts and the people who lived in urban areas or those who went abroad got knowledge to keep three parts of the names. “The name of each person should have minimum two parts, for example Ali Khan, to get an identity card,” said an official.

The affected people said that they had to go through a long process to get two- or three-part names. Sources said that educated youth with a one-word name confronted more problems than illiterate people as they also had to arrange for name change in educational certificates by visiting the schools, colleges and relevant boards and universities.

Published in Dawn, April 1st, 2015

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