The smart national identity card being issued by the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra) does not perform required functions.
The main reason behind ineffectiveness of the SNIC is that Nadra’s smart card system has not yet been linked to related departments like banks, tax collection, property registration, arms and driving licence issuing authorities and immigration department.
An insider said Nadra had written to the interior ministry many times to allow it to link its SNIC system to related departments but the ministry seemed to be in no mood to do so.
According to the original concept of the SNIC, it should have 35 security features and can be used as an ATM card in local and international banks, secondary identity card at international airports and insurance card etc. But presently it is being used an ordinary identity card.
If made fully functional, the card can expose misdeeds of influential people by tracing their bank transactions and tax evasion and sale and purchase of properties by them.
But presently the card cannot detect any bank transaction because it has not been linked to banks. Similarly, it cannot trace tax evasion because there is no link between the SNIC system and tax payers’ database available with the Federal Bureau of Revenue.
The card has an ability to trace arms and driving licenses of the users but the authorities concerned have not been linked to Nadra’s system.
A source close to former chairman of Nadra Malik Tariq, who introduced the SNIC in Oct 2012, told Dawn that the smart card technology made forgery more difficult as a forger would have to modify the data printed on the face and back of the card and also the chip to ensure that the two sets of information matched.
“The chip contains technical features which make modification extremely difficult and easily detectable,” the source said. “The SNIC can be an instrument to be used by the government to introduce e-govt services powered by Nadra’s National Identity System.”
He said the SNIC could help the government in moving towards welfare state by providing help in fields like accidental life insurance, health insurance, emergency relief, pension disbursement and e-voting.
Nadra spokesman Samad Khurram claimed that the SNIC had all required features and was capable of tracing different records and transactions.
He said presently the number of SNIC holders was very small and most of the departments concerned were not ready to get the card reader device unless its number reached 30 million.
It has been learnt that Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has convened a meeting to address the issue next week when he will visit Nadra office.
