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CNIC (Pakistan)

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Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC)
A identity card entitles to a flood relief voucher.
TypeIdentity document
Issued byNational Database & Registration Authority (NADRA)
First issued1973 (paper-based)
2000 (computerised card)
2012 (smart card)
Purpose
Valid inPakistan
EligibilityPakistani citizenship
Expiration10 years (no expiry after bearer has exceeded 60 years of age)[1]
CostFree[1]

The computerised national identity card (CNIC) (Urdu: قومی شناختی کارڈ, romanized: qaumī śanāxtī kārḍ) is an identity card with a 13-digit number available to all adult citizens of Pakistan and their diaspora counterparts, obtained voluntarily. It includes biometric data such as 10 fingerprints, 2 iris prints, and a facial photo.[2][3] The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), was established in 1998 as an attached department under the Ministry of Interior, Government of Pakistan. Since March 2000, NADRA has operated as an independent corporate body with the requisite autonomy to collect and maintain data independently.[4]

The CNIC includes details such as legal name, gender (male, female, or transgender), father's name (or husband's name for married women), identification mark, date of birth, national ID card number, family tree ID number, current and permanent addresses, issue and expiry dates, signature, photo, and thumbprint (fingerprint).

Though not mandatory by law, the CNIC is essential for numerous transactions in Pakistan, including voting, passport applications, land and vehicle purchases, driver's license acquisition, ticket bookings, mobile SIM card acquisition, utility services access, education and healthcare access, and financial transactions.[5][6]

History

[edit]

Efforts to establish a national ID system in Pakistan began in 1973, following the enactment of Article 30 of the Second Amendment.[7] This initiative aimed to collect demographic data, addresses, photographs, and thumb impressions from citizens for the purpose of maintaining a statistical database. However, the process relied on physical files and lacked the adoption of emerging technologies by the Directorate General of Registration. As a result, the government's ability to provide a reliable document for ID verification was limited.[3]

In 1999 the Pakistan Army, tasked with conducting a nationwide census, began considering merging two institutions: the Directorate General of Registration, responsible for issuing national ID cards, and the National Database Organization, established in 1998 for census purposes. This merger aimed to computerise census data collection and use it for issuing computerised cards. The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) Ordinance, 2000, effective from 10 March 2000, formalised this merger, combining the functions of both entities. The goal was to streamline the process of registering individuals and issuing biometric data based national ID cards while reducing government intervention. The Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) contains a 13-digit unique ID, a photo, signature, and a microchip storing iris scans and fingerprints.[5]

In 2007 NADRA began implementing fingerprint deduplication for national ID card issuance. By 2008, the data architecture was enhanced to include a full set of 10 fingerprints and a digital photograph. This technology proved highly effective in deduplicating the national database, significantly reducing instances of dual IDs and identity theft.[3]

In October 2012 NADRA introduced the Smart National ID Card with enhanced security features to deter forgery and broaden its application in government services. Compliant with international standards, ICAO standard 9303 and ISO standard 7816-4, it incorporates a data chip, 36 security features, and a match-on-card applet, enhancing smart card authentication security by storing ID data on the card itself.

Challenges

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NADRA faced significant challenges in issuing ID cards due to limited technical capabilities from 2001 to 2005.[8] To address this, they expanded their presence by setting up offices in every district and implementing mobile infrastructure to reach remote areas. With these improvements, registration surged from 54 million in 2008 to 98 million in 2014, with approximately 55 million men and 43 million women enrolled.

In relation, the percentage might be small, but many millions face challenges in obtaining this card, leaving them vulnerable.[9] Studies indicate that women and children of unregistered parents are at risk of trafficking and forced labor due to their inability to obtain CNICs or birth certificates.[10][11][5] To address this issue, mobile registration units with female staff and simplified processes to assist vulnerable groups ensuring better inclusion.[12]

CINC codes of Pakistani cities

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This 13-digit number is entirely different for every Pakistani.

This number hass three parts. The first part, which comprises five digits i.e. '12101', has its first digit '1' identifying your province. People whose CNIC number starts with 1, are residents of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, similarly, 2 represents FATA, 3 for Punjab, 4 for Sindh, 5 represents Balochistan, 6 for Islamabad and 7 represents Gilgit-Baltistan province.

The second digit in the CNIC number shows your division, which means every a digit identifies a different division in a province, while the rest of the three digit represent your district, tehsil and union council.

The second and middle part of the CNIC number, which consists of seven digits separated by hyphens i.e. XXXXX-1234567-X, is basically a code for the family number of a citizen. This code forms the family tree of a citizen.

The third part following a hyphen (last digit), represents sex of a person. For a man, odd digits i.e. 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 are used, while even digits i.e. 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 are used for women.

This is how a CNIC number is generated by the Nadra's automated system.

CNIC code of Pakistani Provinces

CNIC code for Divisions

Divisions of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan

Divisions of Punjab, Pakistan

Divisions of Sindh, Pakistan

Divisions of Balochistan, Pakistan

Islamabad Capital Territory

Divisions of Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan

Divisions of Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Pakistan

Contents

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Starting in 2012, the card includes essential personal information, including:

Front side

Feature Explanation details
1 Name Given name, family name: in English and Urdu.
2 Father's name Given name, family name in English and Urdu. (Husband's name for married females)
3 Gender containing one character for M (male), F (female), or X (transgender)
4 Country of stay
5 Identity number A unique 13-digit number
6 Date of birth listed in the Gregorian calendar format, in DDMMYY
7 Photo of the individual
8 Date of issue
9 Date of expiry written as Lifetime for above 60-year-old
10 Holder's Signature

Back side

Feature Explanation Details
1 Present address
2 Permanent address
3 QR code
4 Card serial number
5 Card holder's name→ is entitled visa free entry into Pakistan. NICOP and POC only
6 Machine-readable NICOP and POC only

Citizens who live abroad

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Pakistani citizens living abroad have the option to apply for NICOP, also known as the National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis, serving as a registration document. Initially, it was exclusively granted to individuals residing abroad for six months or holding dual nationalities. But the eligibility criteria have since expanded to include all Pakistani citizens. Furthermore, those with ties to Pakistan, such as marriage to a CNIC or NICOP holder, can opt for a Pakistan Origin Card (POC).[13]

Data breach

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In 2020 a significant data breach involving 115 million CNICs was disclosed to the public.[14] The CNIC database is accessed by 300 public and private service providers, but multiple data breaches indicate inadequate security.[15] In March 2024, it emerged that the sensitive personal data of approximately 2.7 million Pakistanis had been compromised from NADRA's database, notably from the Multan, Karachi, and Peshawar offices.[15]

Leaked personal information can lead to harassment and blackmail, particularly affecting vulnerable groups like women, journalists, activists, and minorities. Due to a missing data protection law, there's no accountability for such breaches.[16][17]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Fee Structure". nadra.gov.pk. National Database and Registration Authority. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  2. ^ Ullah, Raza; Abbass, Muhammad Yasir; Khattak, Arif (2015). "Exploring the Role of Computerized National Identity Card (Citizens' Registration Card) in Securing Women's Property Rights in Pakistan" (PDF). Abasyn Journal of Social Sciences. 8 (2). Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  3. ^ a b c "Identity Systems and Civil Registration in Asia". Population and Development Review. 43 (1): 183–187. 2017. doi:10.1111/padr.12040. ISSN 0098-7921. JSTOR 44202643. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  4. ^ "National Database & Registration Authority". nadra.gov.pk. National Database and Registration Authority. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  5. ^ a b c "Millions in Pakistan without digital ID card: Rights activists". Al Jazeera. 26 July 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  6. ^ Herani, Gobind M. (December 2007). "Computerized National Identify Card, NADRA KIOSKs and its prospects" (MPRA Paper No. 6328). Indus Institute of Higher Education. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  7. ^ Malik, Tariq (7 November 2014). "Technology in the Service of Development: The NADRA Story". Center For Global Development. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
  8. ^ Rehman, Asad (20 September 2023). Politics of Socio-Spatial Transformation in Pakistan: Leaders and Constituents in Punjab. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-000-95207-0. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  9. ^ Mustafa, Waqar (26 July 2022). "Pakistan's digital ID card keeps millions locked out". Context. Thomson Reuters Foundation. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  10. ^ Waqas, Hamza; Khan, Amna (4 February 2022). "Privacy and digital identity: The case of Pakistan's NADRA". OpenGlobalRights. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  11. ^ Ibtasam, Samia; Razaq, Lubna; Anwar, Haider W.; Mehmood, Hamid; Shah, Kushal; Webster, Jennifer; Kumar, Neha; Anderson, Richard (20 June 2018). "Knowledge, Access, and Decision-Making: Women's Financial Inclusion in Pakistan". Proceedings of the 1st ACM SIGCAS Conference on Computing and Sustainable Societies. Vol. 2018. Association for Computing Machinery. p. 22. doi:10.1145/3209811.3209819. ISBN 978-1-4503-5816-3. PMC 8018240.
  12. ^ "NADRA' playing pivotal role to empower women in digital age: Chairman". Associated Press of Pakistan. 8 March 2023. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  13. ^ Bhatti, Haseeb (27 April 2017). "Non-resident Pakistanis seeking ID cards should be given monetary concessions: SC". Dawn. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  14. ^ Khan, Iftikhar A. (12 April 2020). "FIA asked to probe 'data breach of 115m mobile users'". Dawn. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  15. ^ a b "Stolen data". The News International. 29 March 2024. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  16. ^ Greenleaf, Graham William (2014). Asian Data Privacy Laws: Trade and Human Rights Perspectives. Oxford University Press. p. 453. ISBN 978-0-19-967966-9. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  17. ^ Arshad, Rabbia (5 November 2023). "Phone Scams To Data Leaks: Securing Pakistan's Digital Frontier". T-Magazine. The Express Tribune. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
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