Why is cancelling ID card after death important for families?

While obtaining a Computerised National Identity Card is essential for accessing education, banking services, voting rights, and other legal or financial transactions, as well as for employment, its timely cancellation by the family members after the death of any person is equally important to prevent complications in inheritance, pension claims, and other legal matters, Associated Press of Pakistan reported.

Across Pakistan, many families still fail to cancel the CNICs of their deceased relatives — some out of unawareness, others to avoid the associated fees. As a result, the ID cards of the deceased remain active, often leading to complications in inheritance distribution, pension settlements, and other legal transactions.

One such case is that of Bakht Bibi, a 45-year-old resident of Ali Town, Rawalpindi. In the middle of an open ground where garbage piles up and children play among scraps of tin and plastic, she sits outside her small hut built from cloth and metal sheets. Her husband passed away a few months ago, leaving behind six children and no property.

PHOTO: APP

For the first time in her family, a CNIC has been cancelled after a death.

“We never thought cancelling the ID card was necessary,” she told APP. “But now NADRA has made it easy. The cancellation is free, and the entry appears automatically in our family tree record.”

On the directives of the interior minister, the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has introduced key reforms including the cancellation of the CNIC after death free of charge.

When a death is recorded in the Civil Registration Management System (CRMS), NADRA automatically updates the family record. Relatives visiting NADRA for any other service are first asked to confirm the death through biometric verification, after which the deceased’s CNIC is cancelled.

Although NADRA can cancel CNICs automatically based on provincial data, the biometric step ensures accuracy — especially since some provincial systems still lack biometric devices.

Officials say the reforms have produced strong results. CNIC cancellations after death have increased nearly sixfold, data accuracy has improved, and fake entries have sharply declined.

PHOTO: APP

A Rawalpindi resident, Bilal Ahmed, appreciated the change: “Earlier, people avoided the process because of the cost, but now we can easily get the CNICs of our late elders and other family members cancelled without any hassle.”

From Sargodha, village headman Ghulam Ali Dhaddi said: “When a CNIC is cancelled, all related departments — like property and the FBR — should automatically update their data. Poor and uneducated families find it hard to visit every office.”

Legal expert Usman Farooq Dhaddi told APP that NADRA’s decision to make free cancellation of the CNIC would not only help families but also strengthen national databases.

“With accurate death records, the government can plan better — from budgets to workforce estimates,” he explained.

“Linking NADRA’s verified data with other departments would promote transparency in inheritance and welfare systems.”

However, some citizens believe there is still room for improvement. A woman named Sidra expressed her concern: “While free cancellation is a welcome step, I wish property transfer and devision of inheritance were also made automatic with CNIC cancellation. That would help daughters, like me, receive rightful share.”

For women like Bakht Bibi, the change represents more than just an administrative reform. It brings dignity. Her late husband’s name is now properly marked in NADRA’s family tree — proof that even families living in poverty are counted and acknowledged.