Pakistan has emerged as one of the few countries in the world where 96 percent of the adult population has been registered through the most secure biometric technology, introduced by National Database Registration Authority (NADRA), Spokesperson said here on Friday.
Spokesperson informed that the registration level in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been observed as 99.9 percent, followed by Punjab 99 percent, Gilgit-Baltistan 89 percent, Sindh and Fata as 88 percent and Balochistan 76 percent against the projected population.
"Our focus is now Sindh and Balochistan and we are moving ahead in Fata despite severe law and order situation" spokesperson said adding that the task would be achieved within this calendar year. On Chairman's directives, Authority has embarked upon a crash drive to reach out to the citizens for CNICs on war footing. It is making all-out efforts to get the adult population especially the women registered in a minimum possible time to facilitate them in getting voting rights, education, health, employment and other facilities. Out of total 92 million CNIC holders, female are 40 million in number and 52 million are male CNIC holders.
So far NADRA has registered over 86 percent of women, which was quite significant in the enhancement of female voter list. Four years ago less than 50 percent of women folk were registered. The total number of women included in the National Database is 39.77 million. Out of these, 5.29 million are in KP, 594,514 in Fata, 22 million in Punjab, 8.6 million in Sindh, 1.45 million in Balochistan, 356,151 in Islamabad capital territory, 270,132 in Giglit-Baltistan and 1.12 million in Azad Kashmir.
Nadra is making all-out efforts to extend its Data Acquisition Units (DAUs) to the door steps of citizens and performing registration operations through numerous mobile units. NADRA has 452 National Registration Centers, 252 Mobile Registration Vans and 70 Semi Mobile Unites countrywide registration centers registering adults in far flung areas.
To encourage womenfolk, Friday has been reserved only for women at all NADRA centers throughout country, 11 women-only NADRA centers with female only staff have also been facilitating women in acquiring (CNICs). NADRA has increased its infrastructure by 83 percent by adding more static offices, Mobile Registration Vans and Semi Mobile Registration Units.
NADRA is also reaching out to NGOs to help facilitate women in obtaining the CNICs and achieve 100 percent registration of womenfolk across the country. She also highlighted the role of NGOs in raising public awareness and said a UN Women supporting NADRA by providing technical advice about gender equality and empowerment of women. While Aurat Foundation is helping the authority in running public awareness programmes especially in far flung areas to encourage women folks who did not register themselves earlier in national database.-PR