These three Karachi areas will get new Nadra registration centres

The National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) has announced the establishment of three registration centres in Karachi in an effort to ease pressure on existing facilities and enhance service delivery.

Speaking to the media, Nadra spokesperson Syed Shabahat Ali said that the new centres will be located in Malir Cantonment, Malir, and Surjani Town. He added that amendments have also been introduced to identity registration laws to address common public grievances.

Ali explained that birth, death, marriage, and divorce certificates continue to be issued through Union Councils, while significant changes have been made to the issuance of Child Registration Certificates (CRC), or B-Forms.

Under the updated system, photographs will be included in B-Forms. For children under the age of three, CRCs will be issued without a photo, as per the old method. However, children above the age of three will now receive CRCs that include a photo and biometric data, valid until the age of 10. From 10 to 18 years of age, a new CRC with updated photo and biometric information will be mandatory.

Although older B-Forms will remain valid, new CRCs will be required for passport issuance, with each child now issued an individual B-Form.

The Nadra spokesperson also highlighted enhancements in the authority’s mobile application, which now allows users to view complete family records and correct any inaccuracies or omissions in the Family Registration Certificate (FRC). The FRC has now been declared a legally valid document and will be accepted in matters related to inheritance and other legal proceedings. It will be categorised based on family structures.

Married women have been given the option to include either their father's or husband's name on their national identity cards, Ali added.

He also said that individuals who have acquired Nadra identity cards through illegal means are being offered the chance to return them voluntarily, with no legal action currently being pursued against them.

Regarding internal accountability, Ali said investigations are underway into allegations of corruption involving Nadra staff, including former chairpersons, and reaffirmed the authority’s policy of zero tolerance toward corruption.