On 19-9-2013, I contacted the local NRC Office of NADRA situated at Gulistan-e-Jauhar Block 15 Karachi for renewal of my CNIC. I experienced the shock of my life when the person in charge of NRC disclosed that DATA in the NADRA archives revealed that I was a married man (whereas I have never been married). He forcefully insisted that I should accept this as a fact as their files said I was married, he went a step ahead and said I should provide a fictitious name for my wife if I wanted to get my CNIC. On my refusal to do so, he flatly denied the renewal of CNIC.
I then contacted the Regional Office of NADRA on 3-10-2013, the concerned official heard my woes sympathetically but remained adamant that they had some procedure and could not renew my CNIC. They suggested that I go to Islamabad for renewal as my original card had been issued from there. Hearing all this, I now doubt this prestigious authority in Pakistan and am sure that someone has stolen my identity and has a family registered on my card.
There have been many slanders on the performance of NADRA which can help us in curtailing crime in the country, but such careless mistakes can give the criminals large holes to vanish into. All over the world ‘Identity Theft’ is a crime but there seems to be too much lawlessness in Pakistan. I hope that my letter will get through to the Chairman of NADRA, and he will felicitate me in the renewal of my CNIC.
MUHUMMED MASOOD AHMED KHAN,
Karachi, October 18