Pakistan’s digital identity card locks out millions

Residents wearing facemasks line up in a queue outside the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) office for new registrations and biometric verification in Peshawar, Pakistan on May 4, 2020. (AFP/File)
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Updated 26 July 2022
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Pakistan’s digital identity card locks out millions

  • Many people in Pakistan still lack Computerized National Identity Card, though it is required to access basic facilities
  • The government says it will soon roll out data privacy law, as critics cite databases breaches and privacy violations

LAHORE: After three years of repeated attempts to get her digital national identity card, Rubina — a woman from the Pakistani city of Karachi — decided to take her battle to court, winning a landmark victory.

Until then, Pakistanis had not been able to get the Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) unless they presented their father’s ID card — an impossibility for many people, including those like Rubina who were raised by single mothers.

The card is vital to vote, access government benefits including public schools and health care, open a bank account or apply for jobs.

“I would turn up there, and be told to bring my father’s card,” said Rubina, 21.

“My mother raised me after my father abandoned us soon after my birth — how could I furnish his identity papers then?”

Rubina’s frustration drove her to file a petition at the high court in Sindh province, which in November ruled that the government agency that oversees the CNIC must issue her a card based on her mother’s citizenship record.

For Rubina, the decision meant she could apply to take over her mother’s job as an attendant in the state education department when her mother retired.

More widely, her case ends the effective exclusion of children of single mothers from the ID card scheme, said Harris Khalique, secretary-general of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), a non-profit.

“Without a CNIC, neither can any public service be accessed, nor can any banking transaction be conducted,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

“In short, one has no rights at all as a citizen.”

The agency in charge of the CNIC, the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), has said it is striving to reach people who have so far been excluded.

“The government has a clear policy that people who are supposed to be registered in the database will not be excluded,” said Salman Sufi, head of the prime minister’s Strategic Reforms Unit, which oversees the implementation of federal policy.

’LIKE ALIENS’

Established in 2000, NADRA maintains the nation’s biometric database, and says it has issued some 120 million CNICs to 96 percent of adults in the nation of about 212 million people.

Each card comprises a 13-digit unique ID, a photograph of the person, their signature, and a microchip that contains their iris scans and fingerprints.

Yet millions of people in Pakistan, including women, transgender people, migrant workers and nomadic communities are still without a CNIC.

More than 1 billion people globally have no way of proving their identity, according to the World Bank.

While governments across the world are adopting digital ID systems, they say are improving governance, the UN special rapporteur on human rights has said they exclude marginalized groups, and should not be a prerequisite for accessing social protection schemes.

A study of migrant workers in Karachi by HRCP last year showed that women were more likely not to have a CNIC, putting them at risk of destitution if their husband died or left the family.

Children whose parents are not registered are especially vulnerable, as they cannot get birth certificates, and are at greater risk of trafficking and forced labor, HRCP said.

It has recommended more mobile registration units and female staff to help register vulnerable groups, as well as simpler processes and less stringent documentation requirements, which also make it harder for immigrants to apply.

Only half of some 2.8 million Afghan refugees who have lived in Pakistan for decades are registered with the government. There is also a sizable population of unregistered Bengali, Nepali, and Rohingya immigrants in Pakistan.

“A majority of the Bengali-origin Pakistanis do not have CNICs and are living like aliens and illegal migrants in their own country,” Sheikh Feroz, a community leader, told a recent rally to demand CNICs.

NADRA — which has also helped set up digital ID systems in Bangladesh, Kenya and Nigeria — has said it has a dedicated registration department “especially for women, minorities, transgender and unregistered persons.”

The agency said it had several women-only centers, particularly in border provinces, “to overcome the socio-cultural barriers of women hesitating to deal with male staff,” and prioritizes senior citizens and the disabled.

“Everyone will be provided an opportunity to get registered. No group based on their ethnicity, race or religion will be excluded,” said Sufi, from the Strategic Reforms Unit.

DATA THEFT

For those who have a CNIC, privacy violations are a risk.

The CNIC database is accessed by about 300 public and private service providers, from the tax department to the election commission to mobile service providers.

There have been several data breaches, which points to inadequate security, said Nighat Dad, a lawyer and executive director at the Digital Rights Foundation, a non-profit.

“Women often complain of harassment after their personal information is leaked and is weaponized to blackmail them,” she said.

“Since there is no data protection law, there is no accountability even when personal data such as phone numbers are leaked,” she added.

Data breaches that expose personal data are particularly risky for vulnerable groups such as journalists, activists and religious and ethnic minorities, said Haroon Baloch, senior program manager at Bytes for All, a digital rights group.

“Citizens are not aware of the use of their biometric data,” he said. “The personal data attached with the biometric IDs can be misused, with serious privacy implications not just for the individual, but also their family.”

NADRA officials have rejected accusations that the data has been compromised, saying the database has a multi-layer security system “which makes hacking impossible.”

The government will roll out a data privacy policy “very soon,” said Sufi, with adequate safeguards for data protection, and “punishment in case of breach of privacy or data theft.”

For Rubina, who could not even get a COVID-19 vaccine without a CNIC, simply getting the ID is half the battle won.

“I am happy that others will not suffer like me,” she said.


Pakistan urges global protection for Gaza’s children on World Day Against Child Labor

Updated 8 sec ago
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Pakistan urges global protection for Gaza’s children on World Day Against Child Labor

  • President Zardari says children in conflict zones need global aid, protection and justice
  • PM Shehbaz Sharif also calls for stricter enforcement of existing laws against child labor

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday called for urgent international support for children in Gaza, warning that thousands face displacement, hunger and heightened risks of forced labor amid ongoing conflict.
The appeal was made by President Asif Ali Zardari in a statement issued on the World Day Against Child Labor, observed annually on June 12. He said children living in war zones must be at the center of the global child protection agenda.
“These children urgently need global aid, protection and justice,” Zardari said. “In conflict-affected regions such as Gaza, thousands of innocent children have been displaced, injured or orphaned by violence. Many face hunger, trauma and the risk of falling into child labor.”
While reaffirming Pakistan’s commitment to eliminating child labor domestically, the president urged governments, rights defenders, media, religious leaders and philanthropists to come together and protect vulnerable children everywhere.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in a separate message, said Pakistan “stands shoulder to shoulder with the international community in the fight against child labor,” but noted that implementation gaps still exist.
“This day is a reminder that we must continue striving toward a future where every child grows up in a safe and prosperous environment,” he said.
Officials say child labor remains widespread in Pakistan, especially in rural and informal sectors, depriving millions of education and exposing them to exploitation.
Sharif urged stricter enforcement of existing laws, which prohibit child labor under Pakistan’s constitution and several key statutes.
Zardari emphasized that while Pakistan has introduced reforms and protection systems, including the National Commission on the Rights of the Child and child welfare bureaus, lasting change requires collective action.
“Child labor is a global challenge,” he said. “Governments and societies must work together to protect children from exploitation and ensure they grow up in dignity.”


Pakistan PM heads to UAE for daylong visit, talks with president

Updated 4 min 37 sec ago
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Pakistan PM heads to UAE for daylong visit, talks with president

  • Shehbaz Sharif is undertaking the visit on Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed’s invitation
  • The trip comes as Pakistan strives to deepen strategic relation with Gulf nations

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif departed for the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday for a daylong official visit to meet President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and hold talks with the UAE leadership, the Pakistani government said.
The trip comes amid Pakistan’s efforts to deepen strategic and economic ties with Gulf nations, especially the UAE, which has remained a key financial and diplomatic partner.
“Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, accompanied by a delegation, has departed from Islamabad for a one-day official visit to the United Arab Emirates,” his office said in a statement. “He is undertaking the visit on the invitation of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi,” it continued. “The Prime Minister will meet the UAE leadership during the visit.”
The UAE is Pakistan’s third-largest trading partner, home to over a million Pakistani expatriates, and a critical source of investment. It played a key role in helping Pakistan avert a balance-of-payments crisis in recent years by depositing funds in the central bank, which facilitated a bailout deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
According to a statement issued by the foreign office a day earlier, Sharif is expected to follow up on more than $3 billion in cooperation agreements signed during his earlier visit in January 2024.
In a phone call last month, Sharif and the UAE president discussed bilateral ties and regional security following a sharp military escalation between Pakistan and India.
Islamabad praised the UAE’s “constructive diplomatic role” during the crisis.
 


‘Bellicose punchlines’: Islamabad slams India’s top diplomat over anti-Pakistan remarks in Brussels

Updated 34 min 57 sec ago
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‘Bellicose punchlines’: Islamabad slams India’s top diplomat over anti-Pakistan remarks in Brussels

  • Subrahmanyam Jaishankar accused Pakistan of sponsoring ‘terrorism,’ asserted New Delhi’s right to retaliate
  • Foreign office says India should raise the quality of its discourse instead of remaining ‘obsessed with Pakistan’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday criticized Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar for “producing bellicose punchlines” after he made a series of statements during his visit to Brussels, accusing Islamabad of sponsoring “terrorism” and asserting New Delhi reserved the right to retaliate against militant attacks.
The comments come in the wake of a recent military standoff between the nuclear-armed neighbors, involving the exchange of fighter jets, drones, missiles and artillery fire. Both countries have since launched parallel diplomatic offensives, dispatching delegations to major world capitals to present their versions of events.
New Delhi suspended a longstanding river water-sharing treaty following a gun attack on tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir that it blamed on Pakistan. Islamabad denied any involvement, calling for an impartial international probe before India decided to launch missiles to target what it called was “terrorist infrastructure” in Pakistan.
A US-brokered ceasefire was announced by President Donald Trump on May 10, followed by Pakistan’s call for a “composite dialogue” with its neighboring state which New Delhi has so far resisted.
“Pakistan categorically rejects the irresponsible remarks made by the External Affairs Minister of India during different media engagements in Brussels,” the foreign office said in a strongly worded statement.
“The discourse of top diplomats should aim to promote peace and harmony, rather than producing bellicose punchlines,” it continued. “The tone and tenor of a Foreign Minister should be commensurate with his dignified status.”
The ministry accused India of waging a years-long “malicious campaign” aimed at misleading the global community with a “fictitious narrative of victimhood,” adding that such rhetoric cannot conceal what it described as India’s own “sponsorship of terrorism beyond its borders” or its “state-sanctioned oppression” in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir.
“India must also desist from concocting misleading narratives to justify its recent aggressive actions,” the statement said. “Pakistan believes in peaceful coexistence, dialogue and diplomacy. However, it stands resolute in its intent and ability to safeguard its sovereignty against any aggression, as exemplified by its robust response to India’s reckless strikes last month.”
Calling India’s recent remarks a sign of “sheer frustration” after what it termed an “unsuccessful military adventure,” Islamabad said Indian leaders should focus on improving the quality of their discourse rather than remaining “obsessed with Pakistan.”
“The history will judge not by who shouted the loudest but by who acted the wisest,” it added.


Palestinian MP accuses Israel and India of conspiring together against Pakistan’s sovereignty

Updated 12 June 2025
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Palestinian MP accuses Israel and India of conspiring together against Pakistan’s sovereignty

  • Sheikh Mamoun Asaad Al-Tamimi was speaking at the National Press Club in Islamabad during a ‘Meet the Press’ event
  • Says Pakistan’s ‘victory’ in recent military confrontation with India was a success for the entire Muslim ummah

ISLAMABAD: Palestinian lawmaker Sheikh Mamoun Asaad Al-Tamimi on Wednesday accused Israel and India of working in tandem to undermine Pakistan’s sovereignty, alleging that both nations viewed Pakistan’s nuclear capability as a threat to their regional ambitions.
Speaking at the National Press Club in Islamabad during a “Meet the Press” event, Al-Tamimi claimed that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, encouraged by Israeli leadership, had attempted to provoke war with Pakistan.
“Modi and Netanyahu are deeply troubled by Pakistan’s nuclear strength. On Israel’s instigation, Modi tried to impose war on Pakistan but they were met with a response they never anticipated,” he said.
Al-Tamimi was referring to exchanges of drones, missiles, and artillery strikes between the two arch-rivals between May 7-10 before a ceasefire was announced. After India struck first on May 7, Pakistan vowed retaliation, saying it had downed six Indian fighter jets.
The two nations also hit each other’s military bases, airfields and other army facilities with missiles.
The Palestinian MP said Israel expected Pakistan’s leadership to be divided and weak in the face of Indian airstrikes.
“But Pakistan’s military and political leadership responded with unity and strength. This is not just a Pakistani victory, it is a victory for the entire Muslim ummah,” he said.
Al-Tamimi’s remarks come amid ongoing violence in Gaza, which he described as a humanitarian catastrophe.
Israel launched an air and ground offensive in Gaza in October 2023 in which at least 54,000 Palestinians have been killed, according to health authorities in the coastal enclave.
“Israel has placed Gaza under siege ... There is now an acute shortage of food and medicine. If the blockade continues, two million Palestinians could die of hunger within a year,” Al-Tamimi warned.
He also drew parallels between the struggles in Gaza and disputed Kashmir, claiming both were victims of occupation and global neglect.
“The war in Gaza has unmasked everyone. Western media portrays Israel as a victim, but this war has exposed the truth. The silence of the international community is deafening.”
Calling for global protests, Al-Tamimi urged people, particularly in Pakistan, to demonstrate outside US embassies in solidarity with the people of Gaza:
“The world must pressure Israel to end its brutal campaign.”
During the press meet visit, NPC President Azhar Jatoi recalled the club’s early support for Gaza, including rallies and awards for over 150 journalists who highlighted the Palestinian cause. Secretary Nayyar Ali added that Pakistani journalists would continue speaking up for Gaza on all platforms.


Pakistan defends 20 percent defense budget hike, cites need to counter India’s ‘war craze’

Updated 12 June 2025
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Pakistan defends 20 percent defense budget hike, cites need to counter India’s ‘war craze’

  • Pakistan’s FY2025–26 budget has allocated Rs2.1 trillion ($7.5 billion) to defense, up from Rs1.8 trillion last year
  • Increase comes weeks after brief but intense military flare-up in May with India, triggered by a militant attack 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Wednesday defended its decision to raise defense spending by 20 percent in the new fiscal year, citing the need to strengthen missile defenses and counter what it described as a permanent state of hostility from India following the latest military standoff between the two nuclear-armed neighbors.

The remarks came during a press conference in London, where a high-level Pakistani delegation led by former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari is lobbying Western governments to support Pakistan’s position on Kashmir, regional stability, and water security. The delegation includes senior lawmakers, including Khurram Dastgir Khan, a former defense minister and ruling Pakistan Muslim League party member.

Pakistan’s FY2025–26 budget has allocated Rs2.1 trillion ($7.5 billion) to defense, up from Rs1.8 trillion last year. The increase comes weeks after a brief but intense military flare-up with India in May, triggered by a militant attack in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi blamed on Islamabad, which denies the allegations. 

Responding to questions about the sharp rise in defense allocations in Pakistan’s 2025–26 federal budget announced on Tuesday, Dastgir said the increase was proportional and necessary given the country’s limited resources and regional threat perception.

“Pakistan has proven that they [India] spend 10 times more than us every year. We are $7.5 billion. Probably last year they spent $77 billion on their defense in a year,” the Pakistani lawmaker said.

“Despite that, we have seen that the skill of Pakistan and the equipment that Pakistan has, by using it well, we have defeated our 10 times bigger enemy. It has forced it to retreat.”

Dastagir was referring to exchanges of drones, missiles, and artillery between the two archenemies between May 7-10 before a ceasefire was announced. After India struck first on May 7, Pakistan vowed retaliation, saying it had downed six Indian fighter jets. 

The two nations also struck each other’s military bases, airfields and other army facilities. 

India, which allocated roughly $77 billion to defense in 2024 according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute data, has called the May clashes a result of cross-border militant activity, a charge Islamabad denies.

Dastgir argued that Pakistan’s defense posture remained reactive and restrained. 

“There will be more discussion on this, on the permanent war-craze from India that is being imposed on us,” he said.

He emphasized that Pakistan must optimize its constrained budget to reinforce deterrence. 

“We have to make the best use of our limited resources. One thing is clear — that we have to strengthen our grounded defenses against the Indian missiles,” Dastagir added.

“So, by looking at the economy of Pakistan, we will make the best use of this budget. And the strength of Pakistan will be further enhanced and renewed.”

The comments reflect Islamabad’s effort to reframe its increased defense spending as a measured response to external threats, rather than a departure from regional stability commitments. The government has also pledged to continue talks under the aegis of international partners to avoid escalation.

The Pakistani delegation is expected to continue its tour with visits to Brussels where it will once more present Islamabad’s case for de-escalation, resumption of water treaty obligations, and progress on the decades-old Kashmir dispute.