The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has revealed that nearly 7 million Pakistanis above the age of 18 still do not hold a Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) despite being eligible.
NADRA cautioned that this gap in registration has created serious risks of identity fraud, as unverified individuals can be manipulated in official records. Alarmingly, Afghan nationals have reportedly been included in some family trees using forged documents, exploiting the absence of CNIC verification.
According to officials, these individuals exist in records such as B-forms, birth certificates, or union council entries, but without CNICs, their identity remains unverified at the national level. This has allowed fraudsters to illegally insert non-citizens into legitimate family lineages.
The authority stressed the urgent need for all eligible citizens to register for CNICs to protect themselves from identity theft and to ensure the integrity of Pakistan’s national database. Sources also confirmed that NADRA is preparing new initiatives, including mobile registration vans and digital verification drives, to speed up the registration process and close the loopholes exploited by fraudsters.