NADRA Kiosk-an effort to facilitate common man
By Shadab Younas (APP)

The Kiosk project of NADRA was the first step in quest to provide value addition to the ID card in a bid to ensure every citizen’s access to the multiple programmes by using CNIC.
The project was initiated by National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) to facilitate common man by reducing the chances of corruption in the issuance of national identity cards.
The Kiosk has been designed with maximum graphics making it accessible to the illiterate persons. It enables users to securely access personal accounts and also pay their utility bills any time in the 24 hours and seven days of the week at any Kiosk across the country, irrespective of utility company’s location.
A touch screen is utilized which is very easy to operate by all sections of the society and the system accepts cash which is predominantly used by the low income group.
Moreover, a fingerprint matching system is used to authenticate transaction on required basis, making transfer of funds extremely secure.
General Manager NADRA NWFP, Brig (RTD) Muhammad Anwar Khan told APP that operating kiosk is not difficult and complicated and one having his or her own account can easily use it.
The spirit behind initiating the kiosk service, he said, was to help the common people in their everyday affairs.And for this service, NADRA is not charging any penny from the people.
These Kiosk franchises have been opened in densely populated areas, where low income group resides and there is no need to bring utility bills once enrolled, he pointed out.
Through enrollment, the virtual account of the customer is created and he is required to just bring original CNIC along with the utility bills that are to be paid to map their consumer numbers with the ID cards, he added.
He said that NADRA is issuing 100,000 NICs daily by utilizing only 25 percent of of present capacity and still have the capacity to issue more NICs. Anwar Khan said that 70 to 80 percent population of NWFP were issued ID cards and those left comprised female alot as majority of them are illiterate and do not feel any need to get an NIC.
While 72 swift centers of NADRA have been set-up in NWFP, 20 mobile vans and seven semi-mobile units are working in the province. Out of these 20 mobile vans one is entirely for female citizens to cater the needs of the women folk.
Moreover, NADRA has the biggest data in the world, he claimed, and the authority has a mechanism to check illegal cards. Once the illegal card is detected the ID cards of the entire family and the attester are also blocked.
When asked about issuance of NICs in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Anwar Khan said that the Political Agent or the authorised officer of the PA office has to attest the card and they are later held responsible in case of any problem.
The majority of these Kiosk machines are locally made and assembled apart from the few imported ones and are working well.
A total of 23 Kiosk centers have been set-up in districts of Abbotabad, Bannu, Manshera, Mardan, Nowshera, Peshawar in NWFP. Also 49 counters have been opened in NADRA Swift Registration Centers (NSRC).
The number of Kiosk franchises would be increased through out the province so as to facilitate maximum of the population.
The utility bills of electricity, sui-gas and PTCL can be deposited at these Kiosk centers and the facility of scratch cards, calling cards and post paid bills is also available at these centers and franchises.
Other products like e-ticketing and cash payment of credit cards would be launched soon through these Kiosks.
Moreover, an individual can nominate persons to use NADRA Kiosk like family members, servant and friends so that the bills can be paid on one’s behalf in a secure manner. Only requirement was that one should know the CNIC number of the individual who is being nominated to pay the bills on his/her behalf.
NADRA is an independent corporate body with requisite autonomy, established on March 10,2000. Since 1960, Pakistan has been issuing National Identity Card (NIC) to the citizens.
The NIC numbers are assigned at birth when the parents complete the child’s birth registration form (Form_B), and then a National Identity Card (NIC) with the same number is issued to him/her at the age of 18. Until 2001, NIC numbers were 11 digits long but in 2001-2002, the authority started issuing 13 digit NIC numbers along with their new biometric ID cards.
Every citizen is required to have an NIC number and the number is required for many activities like paying taxes, opening a bank account, getting a utility connection (phone, cell phone, gas, electricity, water).
A majority of births in the country are still not registered, and a large number of Pakistanis do not conduct any of the activities described above, most do not have ID cards.
Obtaining an NIC card also costs 100 rupees and this inevitably reduces the amount of people who cannot afford it. In 2006, NADRA announced that it had issued 50 million CNIC (the C standing for Computerized) numbers, which is approximately one-thirds of the population.