Lahore:
Likewise after families have filled the last rites of their deceased relatives, many remain alive in the official files of Nadra thanks to the delays in the cancellation of their national identity cards, which create unnecessary disadvantages for surviving parents.
One of these citizens was Majid Hussain, who had difficulty selling the property of his late father. “When I tried to sell the stores registered under the name of my father, a person said that the stores had been mortgaged for a loan of 5 million rupees. He even presented forged documents. Despite a case filed in court, the question remains unresolved because my father’s identity card was not canceled in Nadra’s files,” said Hussain.
Likewise, Nabela Kausar faced problems updating her last name on her CNIC because the death of her father was not registered with Nadra. “I visited the Nadra office to replace my father’s name with my husband’s name, but I was invited to provide CNIC from my parents. When I informed them of the death of my parents, those responsible asked me to cancel their CNICs before updating my file,” said Kausar.
According to the National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA), despite the recording of more than 100 million deaths in the provincial registration and civil management system, the identity cards of these people were not canceled in Nadra files, causing a multitude of legal and administrative problems for the parent of the deceased.
Conversely, the fact of not canceling the CNICs of deceased individuals has also led to irregularities in various social protection programs. In the Ramadan Nigahban program of the Punjab government, hundreds of checks worth 10,000 rupees were issued on behalf of deceased, depriving many families to receive aid.
Legal experts believe that not to cancel the identity card of a deceased can create a multitude of problems for their heirs. Although this can prevent many legal heirs from obtaining goods, this can also allow counterfeiting, allowing unauthorized persons to enter properties or withdraw money from bank accounts.
In addition, if the identity card of an employee of the government is not canceled, his pension and other advantages can be obtained illegally. In addition, there is a risk of electoral irregularities due to the inclusion of people who died in the voters list in the files of the electoral commission.
The main lawyer Altamash Saeed informed this correspondent that Nadra’s files were linked to various government databases. “If a person’s death is not recorded, this can create immigration complications and other legal issues. Consequently, Nadra should allow local unions advice to update birth, death, marriage and divorce files in the Nadra database.
It seems that Nadra has introduced an SMS notification system to involve citizens in the posthumous process, informing close relatives of the deceased to visit the Nadra registration centers to cancel their identity cards. A public awareness campaign is also underway, using social media, media and electronic media to disseminate this information.
Under new regulations, parents, spouses, children, brothers and sisters or other close relatives listed in the deceased family file may cancel the identity card. The required documents include the original identity card or its number, a computerized death certificate issued by the Union Council, the Canton Board of Directors or the Tehsil Municipal Office and an burial certificate.
“The cancellation of an identity card is free, and the cancellation certificate is issued within seven days. To avoid improper use, the initial identity card is destroyed at the Nadra registration center. The authorities urge citizens to take appropriate measures to prevent potential counterfeiting and guarantee the accuracy of government archives,” said Nadra officials.
