90% adults registered with NADRA: Tariq Malik

Pakistan is one of very few countries where 90 per cent of the adult population is registered through biometric technology.

KARACHI: Pakistan has emerged as one of the very few countries in the world where 90 per cent of the adult population is registered through secure biometric technology introduced by National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA).

''We are striving to attain 100 per cent registration and if we hit 94% we are as good as 100% because on average 6% turns 18 every year,” said Tariq Malik, Deputy Chairman NADRA.

While stating the benefits of registration, he observed that biometric identification of every Pakistani citizen of this country would bring transparency in all social political and economic affairs besides providing the vital health, education and social information for initiating targeted development programs.

''We have issued 79.13 million ID cards so far against an eligible adult population of 87.89 million. Overall registration increase in last two years (2008-10) has been 60 per cent whereas female registration growth has been 88.7 per cent when compared against the previous two years (2006-08),” said Malik.

He said the registration of the adult male population has already reached 99 per cent but female adult registration is still 77 per cent due to cultural inhibitions. He said that we have overcome many hurdles in this regard as the overall registration in one of the most conservative province of Kyber Pakhtunkwa has already reached 99 per cent. He said the people of this province realized the benefits of registration to avail numerous social benefits.

Malik said the registration level in Azad Jammu and Kashmir is also 99 per cent followed by Punjab, 91 per cent, Gilgit-Baltistan, 88 per cent, Sindh, 84 per cent and Baluchistan, 74 per cent. ''Our focus is now Sindh and Baluchistan and we are moving ahead in FATA despite severe law and order situation," he said, adding that the task would be achieved within this calendar year.

He said some important government initiatives also facilitated increase in issuance of Computerized National Identity Cards. "The prime minister’s decision to provide free CNICs attracted 1.7 million people and BISP attracted the poorest of poor to get registered,” said Malik.

Malik said successful cash disbursement using biometric technology and rehabilitation of Internally Displaced People (IDP) as an aftermath of the Swat operation was also possible due to accurate data available, on the population, with NADRA.

Banks in Pakistan, he added, are flourishing because they know the identity of all their account holders.

He said criminals have been unearthed after tracing the identity of their mobile phones that are issued after verification of their CNICs. ''It is high time that elections should be held on CNIC basis. This would definitely bring transparency in elections,'' said Tariq.