The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), in a meeting chaired by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Friday, decided to block immediately mobile SIMs registered against expired or fake CNICs.
Implemented in phases, the blocking exercise will commence with all connections linked to CNICs issued in 2017 or earlier. Subsequent phases would see the deactivation of SIMs registered on CNICs issued after 2017. In future, the meeting decided, only SIMs registered with active identity cards would remain valid. NADRA would also block all SIMs registered to deceased individuals.
Briefing the meeting, NADRA Chairman Lt. Gen. Muhammad Munir Afsar said the organization is striving to expand access, improve service delivery, and advance digital transformation. He said 87 new registration centers and 417 additional counters commenced operations nationwide, adding the federal government had approved key amendments to the National Identity Card Rules, 2002.
He said a facial recognition system would support citizens who faced difficulties with fingerprint verification. The interior minister directed the Interior Ministry to ensure nationwide implementation of facial recognition technology by Dec. 31, 2025.
The NADRA chairman highlighted that citizens’ biometric data is being secured in local databases, making it vulnerable to misuse and theft. Naqvi instructed the Interior Ministry to issue directives to relevant institutions to discontinue storing biometric data independently.
During the meeting, the interior minister said NADRA services had been expanded to 44 tehsils and union councils where facilities were previously unavailable. He said all 31 union councils of Islamabad should have NADRA services by June 30. He directed the organization to conduct a comprehensive review and identify countries and regions where NADRA services are most needed. He also approved the establishment of new regional NADRA offices in Multan, Sukkur, and Gwadar.