NADRA launches SMS campaign to verify CNIC, family tree

National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) on Sunday launched a campaign for re-verification of registered families.

Under the new campaign, family members can be verified through an SMS service. The service allows Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) holders to check names of people registered under the same family tree, by sending an SMS to 8008.

Registered families will be able to report individuals to authorities who were illegally registered under their family tree.

Beginning from July 1, Nadra will send messages from 8008 to family heads in order to get confirmation of their registered numbers.

However, you can check the status even if you aren’t the head of the family. You can send your CNIC number to 8008 and receive the names of all registered persons in your family.

Last week, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan approved a plan for launching the CNIC’s re-verification drive on July 1.

The interior minister, while chairing a meeting to discuss the multi-pronged strategy and attended by the interior secretary, the National Counter Terrorism Authority (Nacta) national coordinator, Nadra chairman and other senior officials, was informed that Nadra has established a helpline that can handle 10,000 calls per day, and an SMS gateway to issue 150,000 SMS per day.

The minister was informed that training for the needed human resource has already been completed to ensure the successful completion of the re-verification drive which in the words of the minister is an ‘important milestone pertaining to national security’. He has given Nadra six months deadline to complete the process.