Nadra warns of possible penalties for delayed renewal of identity documents

ISLAMABAD: The National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) has warned that citizens who do not obtain or renew identity documents on time could face additional fees and penalties, according to a press release issued on Thursday.

The authority said identity documents are issued for a fixed period and that every adult citizen is responsible for ensuring timely renewal, particularly of Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs), before they expire.

Nadra said delays in renewal could disrupt access to services linked to these documents. Bank accounts, mobile phone SIMs and other verification-based services could be affected or suspended if identity documents are not valid.

The authority also said people with expired identity cards may be unable to benefit from government and welfare programmes, including the Benazir Income Support Programme and government subsidy schemes such as the recently announced fuel subsidy scheme. Transactions including property and vehicle transfers could also be affected.

“Failing this, essential services linked to these documents, including bank accounts, mobile phone SIMs, and other verification-based services may be adversely affected or suspended”., it stated.

Nadra said such situations create avoidable difficulties for citizens because of delays on their part. While it has the legal authority to impose extra charges or penalties for late renewal, it has so far not enforced such measures in view of public convenience.

Millions of documents have expired

According to Nadra, currently 27.475 million national identity cards, 2.309 million overseas cards, 11.65 million child registration certificates and 0.229 million juvenile cards have expired.

The authority said it has already sent reminder SMS messages to citizens. These include messages to parents whose children have turned 18 but have not yet obtained their first National Identity Card.

Warning over SIMs linked to expired CNICs

Nadra also referred to the public advisory issued by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) on April 8, saying mobile phone users must have a valid and active CNIC to continue using services.

SIMs registered against expired identity cards or in the names of deceased persons could be blocked at any time. According to the authority, more than 8.1 million SIMs are currently active against around 4.5 million identity cards that require renewal. Of these, over 223,000 identity cards have remained expired for more than 10 years without renewal.

Nadra advised citizens to renew their identity cards in time to avoid disruption to mobile services. It also said SIMs registered in the names of deceased relatives should be transferred to the CNIC of the person currently using them.

“If no improvement is observed in the trends of document renewal, additional fees and penalties may be imposed in the next fiscal year after June on those citizens who delay obtaining or renewing their identity documents.”, it added.

The authority asked citizens to fulfil their legal responsibility by promptly renewing expired identity documents and ensuring that identity cards are issued to individuals who have reached the age of 18.