Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has cancelled 4.2 million Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) as part of a nationwide data reconciliation exercise aimed at improving the accuracy of the national citizen database.
The move targets identity cards that remained active even though the individuals had already been recorded as deceased in provincial civil registration systems. Authorities said the discrepancy occurred because families reported deaths to local institutions but did not update the information with NADRA.
Death Records Trigger Mass Cancellation
Officials explained that millions of CNICs stayed active despite death registrations. This created inconsistencies in official demographic records and raised concerns about possible misuse of identity data.
To address the issue, NADRA compared the registration data with its national database and subsequently canceled the cards. This was done in accordance with the NADRA Ordinance and identity card rules.
Families Encouraged to Update Records
NADRA also introduced facilitation measures to make the cancellation process easier. The authority waived the cancellation fee and removed the requirement to submit the deceased person’s physical CNIC.
Due to these measures, families of nearly three million deceased individuals voluntarily applied to cancel identity cards before the latest reconciliation exercise.
Restoration Option for Errors
NADRA said that if a living citizen’s CNIC is cancelled due to an incorrect death report, they can visit the nearest registration centre. After biometric verification, the CNIC will be restored without any fee.
The authority said the cleanup drive will help protect the integrity of Pakistan’s identity system and prevent misuse of records.
