NADRA has introduced a phone-based family tree verification system aimed at strengthening national identity safeguards and curbing fraudulent entries in its citizen database. This latest measure gives individuals the ability to review and flag suspicious additions to their family records via mobile access, providing a direct and accessible tool to combat manipulation of identity data.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry disclosed details of the initiative during a recent session in the upper house. He emphasized the need for enhanced citizen participation in maintaining the integrity of national identity records. According to Chaudhry, the misuse of CNICs and Pakistani passports has been an ongoing challenge, with over 5,000 passports issued to individuals falsely claiming Pakistani nationality detected abroad—many of them in Saudi Arabia. These documents were voluntarily surrendered after the holders admitted they were not legitimate citizens of Pakistan.
Chaudhry noted that one of the key methods used to obtain CNICs and passports fraudulently was through manipulation of NADRA’s family tree data. In several cases, individuals were inserted into family trees through internal staff collusion or by families attempting to gain benefits. The new phone-based system offers a practical way for legitimate citizens to review their family data and highlight entries that appear unauthorized or suspicious.
The initiative builds on earlier government efforts to clean up national records. Major verification drives were launched in 2014 and 2019, involving widespread public outreach and the creation of verification protocols. These campaigns were reinforced by the establishment of district-level committees led by Deputy Commissioners and Zonal Verification Boards that reviewed flagged cases and conducted manual audits.
Chaudhry also clarified that NADRA’s operations are uniform across all provinces and do not reflect any regional bias. He pointed out, however, that Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have reported the highest number of identity fraud cases, often due to higher rates of system exploitation and documentation loopholes in those regions.
Public response to the verification system has been significant. NADRA has received 71,000 complaints from citizens reporting questionable entries in their family trees. The agency initiated departmental inquiries against staff members found responsible, leading to the dismissal of 266 employees. Several others, including senior officials, are facing criminal investigations for their involvement in the manipulation of national records.
Chaudhry assured lawmakers that any case highlighted by parliamentarians will be subject to fresh review and scrutiny. He reiterated that NADRA remains committed to ensuring the accuracy of citizen records and building systems that enable public oversight. The phone-based verification system is part of broader government measures to enhance transparency and improve accountability in the management of digital identity infrastructure.
