ISLAMABAD: The latest data gathered by the interior ministry on the status of CNICs issued so far indicates that a significant 24 per cent of adult population of Balochistan was without this basic document.

Only a CNIC holder can cast vote, says the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). In this scenario, if the government fails to register the remaining Bolochi people by the next general elections, they will have no other choice but to remain out of the electoral process. Low voting turnout has always been an issue in Balochistan.

Until December 14, 2011, though the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra), which falls under the administrative control of interior ministry, claims to have registered 94 per cent adult Pakistanis, 24 per cent Baloch people still remain out of the network, according to an official document.

In total, the document says, 89.145 million CNICs have been issued in all the four provinces including Fata, Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK).

Understandably, Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) leads in terms of per capita issuance of CNIC as 99 per cent of its adult population i.e. 788,529 people have been issued the cards.

Nadra has also performed well in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), according to the document, as 99 per cent people of voting age i.e. 2.375 million got themselves registered with Nadra.

After AJK comes Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) where Nadra has issued 11.97 million CNICs showing that 98 per cent people have so far received the cards followed by Punjab where 49.15 million CNICs have been issued meaning that 96 per cent people have been registered by Nadra.

In Gilgit-Baltistan (GB), 90 per cent adult population – 2.37 million people – has got their CNICs and close to GB stands Sindh where 87 per cent population – 19.247 million people – have been registered by Nadra followed by Fata where 1.66 million people of voting age constituting 86 per cent of the population have got their CNICs.

According to the document, at present 873 data acquisition units are operating nationwide for the registration of the people who have reached 18 years of age and 2011-12 has already been declared as registration year. Making the slogan a reality, the Nadra has hired additional staff and equipment.

Moreover, the document says, since January 2008 till the end of 2011, Nadra has blocked 10,418 CNICs throughout the country. These cards are blocked after thorough verification, scrutiny and after getting reports from various law enforcement agencies.

In the category of blocked CNICs, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa topped where 4,461 such cases were registered followed by Balochistan with 3,218 such cases, Sindh with 1426 cases, Punjab with 1,278 and Azad Kashmir with 35 cases.

The CNICs were blocked on account of fake particulars, fake attestations, holders of dual cards, fake parentage, old cards issued to two different persons, fake identification papers and fake addresses.

The document further clarifies, the blocking of CNIC is institutionalised and not based on discretion as records of double cards are recommended for blockage by verifying agencies and later analysed at Nadra headquarters. Moreover, it says, a strict action is taken against employees for unlawful blockage.