By: Alif Khan Sherpaw
An elderly, uneducated man was tricked into visiting NADRA under the pretext of receiving Zakat money, only to become the victim of a major identity fraud involving the illegal registration of three Afghan families in his Family Registration Certificate (FRC).
The victim, Inayatullah Baba, discovered the fraud when his son obtained the FRC and found the names of fake individuals listed as his brothers. “I was given Rs. 9,000 and brought to NADRA. They used my fingerprint to add fake sons to my record,” he said.
Inayatullah claims to know both the person who brought him to NADRA and the officials involved in the scam. Despite filing a complaint at the city police station, he alleges that no action has been taken in the past five days.
The victim is demanding legal action against those responsible, including the fraudsters and any complicit NADRA officials. Locals have also called for a transparent investigation to prevent further abuse of the system.
Read also: NADRA updates identity card regulations after key amendments
The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has implemented significant amendments in the National Identity Cards Rules 2002.
NADRA has implemented important amendments in the National Identity Card Rules 2002, under which it will be necessary to register the birth in the Union Council to get a B form.
The card without a chip will have Urdu and English data, a QR code will be included, and no additional fee will be charged for it.
According to the announcement, biometrics and photographs will not be required for children up to 3 years of age, photographs of children aged 3 to 10 years will be mandatory, iris scan will also be taken. Photographs, biometrics and iris scans will be mandatory for children aged 10 to 18 years.
A separate B form will be issued to each child, on which the validity period will also be recorded. Previously issued B forms have not been cancelled; a new B form will be required to get a passport, which will help in preventing fake registration and effectively eliminate child trafficking.
The announcement states that the Family Registration Certificate has been given the status of a legal document, and the applicant will have to give a declaration of the correctness of the information entered in it. Citizens will now be able to obtain the FRC only on the basis of NADRA records.
Those family members whose details have not yet been submitted will also have to be registered. Citizens will be able to correct their family details through the mobile app or the NADRA office.
The complete family details of men who have married more than once will be registered in the FRC. Women can register the name of their father or husband on the CNIC of their choice. The decision on cases of seizure, cancellation and restoration of CNIC will be made within 30 days.
NADRA has added most of the features of smart cards to the chipless card; these cards will be issued at a lower fee and in less time than smart cards.
