THE newly introduced three-stage Child Registration Certificate (CRC) system, instead of simplifying things for the masses, is a source of confusion, especially because there is limited information available online. There are many who believe that their children’s documentation is already covered, but that is probably not the case.

Previously, a conventional B-Form would be prepared once, at the time of birth, and would remain valid till 18 years of age when a Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) would be issued. The newly introduced B-Form series corresponds to the age brackets of birth to three years, three years to 10 years, and 10 years to 18 years with different sets of requirements at each stage.

Currently, one of my children is two years old and another one is seven. Both of them have the conventional B-Form. How am I going to proceed with them now? Whether this new law is applicable to them as well?

Furthermore, both of them already have a birth certificate issued by the relevant union council (UC), and their credentials are already updated in the Family Registration Certificate (FRC) as well. All these documents have been issued by the same institution, the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra). Both my children even have valid passports with extensive travel history. Indeed, my elder child has a second passport since the document expires every five years for children. If the new law is applicable in my case, it will entail extensive documentation and verification. I am not sure how to proceed, or to proceed at all.

As such, with the introduction of this new three-step B-Form, what will be the status of the original B-Form and other documents that we had obtained paying different amounts at different stages?

Dr Khwaja Ali Shahid
Karachi

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2026