Computerized National Identity Card
| CNl 101271077496 | |
|---|---|
| Issued by |
 Pakistan
|
| Type of document | identity card |
| Purpose | Identification |
| Eligibility requirements | Pakistani citizenship |
The Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) is an identity card issued by Pakistan's National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA). The card is issued first at the age of 18. There are two types of Identity card in Pakistan CNIC and SNIC. CNIC is Urdu version computerized card and SNIC is Pakistan's first national electronic identity card.
The card is mandatory for
Thus, it can be seen as a de facto necessity for meaningful civic life in Pakistan.
In Pakistan, all adult citizens must register for the Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) with a unique number upon reaching the age of 18. It serves as an identification document to authenticate an individual's identity as the citizen of Pakistan. Before introduction of the CNIC, manual National Identity Cards (NICs) were issued to citizens of Pakistan. Today, the Government has shifted all its existing records of National Identity Cards (NIC) to the central computerised database managed by NADRA. New CNIC's are machine-readable and carry facial and fingerprint information.
Every citizen is required to have a NIC number, and the number is required for many activities such as getting a driver licence or passport, registering a vehicle, receiving social insurance/Zakat funding, enrolling in school, college or technical institute, filing a legal affidavit, wiring funds, paying taxes, opening a bank account, getting a utility connection (electricity, phone, mobile phone, water and sewer, natural gas), etc. However, since some births in the country are not registered, and some Pakistanis do not conduct any of the activities described above, a few do not have ID cards. Obtaining an CNIC also costs PKR 200, and this inevitably reduces the number of people who can afford it. In 2007, NADRA announced that it had issued 60 million CNIC (the C standing for computerised) numbers, which is approximately one-third of the population. The authority had issued the 10 millionth CNIC on February 11, 2002; 20 millionth on June 18, 2002; 30 millionth on December 22, 2003; 40 millionth on October 1, 2004; and 50 millionth CNIC on February 14, 2006.
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