NADRA rolls out ‘e-franchise’ for ID card renewal and replacement

Citizens will no longer need to visit NADRA’s main offices. Instead, they can access services at nearby authorised e-franchise centers across the country.The NADRA spokesperson, Syed Shabahat Ali, speaking in private channel,s programme, said the project began with 18 pilot e-franchises and, following positive results, has now expanded to over 2,000 centres nationwide.Syed Shabahat Ali said the service is designed to be simple and accessible, requiring neither a smartphone nor an internet connection.

Citizens can visit their local/neighbourhood franchise, provide their CNIC number, and have their photograph and fingerprints verified from NADRA’s database to complete the process.

The NADRA spokesperson further said that the ‘e-franchise’ centres currently offer services related only to the renewal of identity cards and the reissuance of lost cards. No police report (FIR) is required for these services.Responding to a question about data security, Syed Shabahat Ali said citizens can use NADRA’s Pak-Identity app to check when, how and by whom their data, including CNIC number, fingerprints or QR code has been accessed.

He also clarified that women applying for a CNIC are not required to present their parents’ identity cards. They can get a CNIC by using information from the B-Form, along with the husband’s registration details and a marriage certificate.