Flaws in NADRA

Over the years, NADRA has become something of a benchmark agency for Pakistan. Its registration systems are used nationally and there is a level of trust in the general public that is unlike that of the trust accorded to other national agencies. Established in 2000, it is responsible for the collection and collation of the data that underpins the Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) that every citizen is obliged to obtain at the age of 18. NADRA has an international profile and has marketed its services overseas very successfully — but it has now got a problem. Finger and thumbprints.

There are over 90 million CNICs in circulation and they bear the thumbprint of the holder. The validation of that thumbprint is required if a vote is to be cast, and the election in NA-110 Sialkot — the constituency of Defence Minister Khawaja Asif — has highlighted a significant problem. A worrying 14,048 voters were not identified through their CNIC-held prints, and that out of a total roll of 19,028 that were sent for verification — an overwhelming majority of registered voters could not correlate their prints with NADRA records. Fortunately the voters were not disqualified as their CNIC numbers corresponded to the electoral rolls across 26 polling stations, but in a time when allegations of rigging and electoral malfeasance are never far below the surface, this represents a considerable difficulty for NADRA. It would appear that the core of the problem is the poor quality of prints, which points to lax or imperfect procedures at offices across the country, and if the Sialkot evidence is generalised to the rest of Pakistan, it points to a major systemic flaw. NADRA needs to move swiftly and decisively to ensure that thumbprint records are sufficient to the task, because if they are not, then the integrity of the entire system is at question. Any flaw as substantial as this in the NADRA system only serves to feed the conspiracy theorists as well as those who never fail to seek an opportunity to call ‘foul’ at election times. Fix it NADRA. Fast.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 23^rd, 2016.

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