ISLAMABAD, Dec 10: National Database Registration Authority Chairman Saleem Ahmed Moin has reaffirmed that the manual identity cards will become invalid after Dec 31.

Brig (retd) Moin told a press conference on Tuesday that after Dec 31 people would have to wait for a long time to get their cards.

“It is better for them to visit the relevant Nadra office or National Swift Registration Centres (NSRCs) immediately and submit their documents for getting CNICs before the cut-off date (Dec 31),” he emphasized.

Under the Nadra Ordinance, he said, no government declare the computerized ID cards invalid.

He said complete secrecy was accorded to the data collected from any individual for the preparation of computerized cards. He elaborated that the data would not be shared with any national and international agency and it would remain confidential.

Recently, the chairman pointed out, the CBR had requested the Interior Ministry to provide data collected by Nadra to get information about tax evaders and their assets.

“We refused to provide any such information and share with them our data. In order to keep the secrecy of data, we have even removed the column seeking provision of National Tax Number in the computerized cards,” he said.

“We also refused the Federal Investigation Agency which sought our data for its Personal Identification Secure Comparison and Evaluation System imposed on airports and border checkpoints to check human smuggling,” he said.