Number of people not having CNIC has increased from 10 million to 12 million approximately
ISLAMABAD: The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), the organisation responsible for issuing CNICs to a population of over 193.2 million, does not have the capacity to issue CNIC to almost 12 million women owing to limited resources. As a result, the above-mentioned figure of eligible female voters will be unable to vote in the next general elections.
The number of people not having CNIC has increased from 10 million to 12 million approximately, between the years 2013 to 2017. Yet NADRA despite having years to make up for the gap didn’t take the necessary steps to easily avoid the current situation without much hassle.
The organisation in the past four years, if not fully but possibly to some extent, could have issued CNIC to these eligible voters. More shockingly, all the 12 million are female voters. This serious anomaly has come to the fore at a time when the government is trying to improve female voter turnout through legislations like the Peoples’ Representation Bill.
The failure on the part of NADRA in providing CNIC to such a large number further raises questions about the authenticity of the recent census especially when the voter lists will be prepared on the basis of CNICs.
Aiman Jalil
Published in The Express Tribune, November 30th, 2017.
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