ISLAMABAD: The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has introduced stricter rules for obtaining a Child Registration Certificate (B Form), aiming to fortify the security of citizens’ family trees and prevent fraudulent entries.
Under the new regulations, biometric and photographic requirements have been updated based on age. A photograph is now mandatory for children aged 3 to 10 years, while fingerprints will be taken for children between 10 and 18 years. The photo condition is waived for infants under three years of age.
Officials emphasized that the changes are part of a broader push to enhance the integrity of the national identification system. A key procedural update mandates that parents must register their newborn at the local union council within one month of birth. This step is designed to eliminate the possibility of irrelevant or fake entries in the family tree from the outset.
The authority has also significantly expanded the document’s utility. The B Form is no longer just a prerequisite for school admissions; it has now been made mandatory as an entry document for a child’s treatment in hospitals. This move underscores the form’s role as a primary identity document from birth.
NADRA states that these comprehensive measures will ensure greater transparency, secure children’s identities more effectively, and create a more robust and reliable national database for the future. Parents are advised to complete the B Form process in a timely manner according to their child’s age to avoid any inconvenience.
Meanwhile Ziaullah Langau, the Balochistan Awami Party’s (BAP) central information secretary and former interior minister, has underscored a critical security gap in the province, stating the urgent need for a full-time interior minister to address worsening law and order.
In a television interview, Langau noted that while the provincial situation has been monitored for 25 years, the past 18 months have seen distinct and faster-moving challenges. He argued that the crucial interior portfolio remains vacant, hampering the effective handling of internal security. “The presence of an interior minister is essential so that public issues and law and order… can be fully addressed,” he stated.
