The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) clarified its role in managing birth certificates, death certificates, and marriage registrations following a viral video on social media showing a man shocked to learn that NADRA listed him as deceased.
NADRA issues identity documents based on records from the provincial Union Councils, which register births, deaths, and marriages in accordance with provincial laws. Operating under federal law, NADRA relies on these records to issue ID cards. In a viral video, a relative reported the man’s death to the Union Council, leading NADRA to update its system accordingly.
The video quickly spread online, showing a man in disbelief after NADRA erroneously declared him dead. NADRA clarified that the error stemmed from local Union Council records, not from their own systems. This case highlights the necessity of accurate local records.
Union Councils’ Responsibility
Union Councils maintain NADRA birth, death, and marriage records, which NADRA processes into identity documents. Pakistan has over 7 million death records, but many families fail to update NADRA or cancel deceased relatives’ ID cards, resulting in errors like this.
NADRA now uses an SMS alert system to tackle such issues. It sends messages to individuals and relatives. The alerts urge them to visit a NADRA office to cancel an ID card if a death is correct. If the record is wrong, they must contact the Union Council to fix it.
Read: NADRA Launches Pakistan’s First Digital Identity Card
Accurate NADRA birth, death, and marriage records support legal processes like inheritance and voting. NADRA’s statement encourages citizens to keep their records current and shows how Union Councils and federal authorities work together to manage national databases.
