The following information was provided to the Research Directorate by an official at the Pakistani Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control (Interior Division) in Islamabad, in a 6 April 2001 letter in reply to a series of questions about National Identity Cards (NIC) in Pakistan (items 4 and 5, below, also contain information from other sources). In the letter, the official forwarded to the Research Directorate information provided by Pakistan's National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA). NADRA is the department within the Ministry of the Interior and Narcotics Control that is responsible for the issuance of National Identity Cards (NIC).

1. On revised and duplicated National Identity Cards (NIC) and the differences between the two:

A revised identity card is issued on report of change of any particular by surrendering previous NIC, whereas duplicate NIC is issued in lieu of lost identity card with the same particulars.

The official added that, although revised and duplicated NICs normally bear the same identity numbers as the original cards they are revising or duplicating,

when a woman is married to a resident of another Registration Zone, her previous registration is cancelled and she is allotted a new citizen code number of the zone where she has shifted after her marriage.

Information on revised and duplicated NICs can also be found in PAK22295.E of 21 Nov. 1995 and PAK35800.EF of 1 November 2000.

2. On the documents and photos required to obtain a revised or duplicate NIC:

The official stated that the following documents may be requested of a person submitting an application for a revised or duplicated National Identity Card: "a) School Certificate; b) Domicile Certificate; c) Birth Certificate issued by Local Bodies; d) Age Certificate issued by Civil Surgeon; e) FIR [First Information Report: a police report] of loss of NIC."

Regarding photographs, the official stated that it is expected that the photograph affixed to the application form will bear a resemblance to the applicant, and that usually a recent photo is requested (ibid.).

Information on the above can also be found in PAK25466.E of 21 November 1996.

3. On the circumstances under which a series of numbers and/or letter appear below and to the left of the Pakistani national seal on an NIC:

"Sr. No. of printing of NIC is written here."

4. On whether a photograph on an NIC can be a photocopy; whether the applicant must sign his or her NIC in front of a government official; whether it is possible to deliver the NIC to a member of the family of the applicant:

The official stated that a photocopy of a photograph is not acceptable on an NIC.

Regarding the procedure to fill out an application for an NIC, the following information is posted on a Pakistan government Website:

Application for registration and issuance of National Identity Card under National Registration Act 1973 is to be submitted on form RG-1 which is available from all branches of Pakistan Post Offices at the rate of Rs.3/- per form (Pakistan 29 Jan. 2001).

The application must be attested, and the following information on attestation of the document is provided on the same Website:

For the convenience of general public a sufficiently enough number of persons belonging to all walks of life, have been authorised to attest Registration Forms. These include the members of the Senate, the National Assembly, a Provincial Assembly, a Local Body or a Zakat Committee. All officers of the Federal and Provincial Governments in Grade- 16 and above can also attest the Registration Forms. Complete list of authorised attestors is printed at page No.3 of Form RG-1 (ibid.).

The Pakistan government Website indicates that a prepared NIC does not necessarily have to be picked up by the person who applied for it: "[a]ny bonafide family member can receive prepared National Identity Cards of his family on written authorisation from them" (ibid.).

Information on the procedure for signing the NIC can be found in PAK35800.FE of 1 November 2000.

5. On the meaning of the 4th and 5th digits of the number on an NIC; whether at any point in time those digits have represented the year of issue of the NIC:

The 4th and 5th digits indicate the year of birth of the bearer. However, on cards issued from 1 January 1985 to 28 February 1994, the 4th and 5th digits indicated the year of issuance of the card (Pakistan 6 Apr. 2001). A Pakistani lawyer practising in Karachi also stated to the Research Directorate that from 1985 to 1994 the 4th and 5th digits of the NIC indicated the year of issue of the card, basing his information on government sources (12 Feb. 2001).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Pakistan. Ministry of the Interior [and Narcotics Control], Directorate-General of Registration. 29 January 2001 [Last modified]. "Frequently Asked Questions." http://www.pak.gov.pk/public/govt/reports/directurate_gen_of_registration.htm [Accessed 11 May 2001]

_____. Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control (Interior Division). 6 April 2001. Correspondence (forwarding information provided by the National Database and Registration Authority - NADRA).

Pakistani lawyer, Karachi. 12 February 2001. Correspondence.