Pakistan struggled to conduct a proper national population census in 1997. The delay had caused confusion in population estimates across different areas. Accurate data collection became a serious challenge.
To tackle this crisis, the then Prime Minister requested help from the Pakistan Armed Forces. The task of conducting the census was handed to the Army Air Defence Command. Their main mission was to organise and manage the national population count.
This moment triggered a major change. It became the foundation of the National Database and Registration Authority. The goal was not just to count citizens but to create a digital identification system.
The government later approved the creation of a modern, secure, and centralised digital database. In March 1998, Nadra was officially established. This marked the beginning of a new era in Pakistan’s identity management.
For the census, 60 million data forms were printed. These were sent to every household in the country. This was a rare chance to collect more than just numbers. The decision was made to gather detailed information about each citizen.
Census teams travelled across the country. They distributed forms in the first phase and collected them later. These same national data forms are still used today for computerised national identity card applications.
This was the real beginning of the National Database and Registration Authority. With this step, Pakistan became one of the first countries to work on a large-scale digital ID project.
Despite limited funding, the project was completed with impressive effort. The Armed Forces, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, schoolteachers, and civil officers all took part. They reached even remote areas like FATA, Azad Kashmir, and Gilgit-Baltistan.
Once the data was gathered, the next task was digital conversion. But there were hurdles. High-speed scanners were not available. Also, computers had limited support for Urdu text.
To solve this, a standard system was built with help from the National Language Authority. Over 20,000 young Pakistanis were trained for Urdu data entry. Their hard work helped build Pakistan’s first civilian digital database.
The work didn’t stop there. On 10 March 2000, the National Database Organisation merged with the Directorate General of Registration. This formed the modern National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra). Major General Zahid Ihsan became Nadra’s first chairman.
In the early days, Nadra faced financial hardships. It had no fixed budget. To stay independent, creative ideas were needed. The Election Commission needed a digital voter list. Nadra used its database to produce the first computerised electoral roll in Pakistan.
This helped Nadra generate income. The Election Commission paid Rs500 million. Using that, Nadra secured a commercial loan worth Rs3.5 billion. The loan was repaid quickly. Nadra became self-reliant and still remains so today.
In 2001, Nadra launched the computerised national identity card (CNIC). It was a secure and advanced form of identification. It changed the way people verified identity in the country.
The success of the National Database and Registration Authority is deeply linked to the hard work of military officers. Their dedication and technical skills laid the foundation.
Though the journey faced many difficulties, the outcome was remarkable. Today, Pakistan is among the few countries with a complete digital identification system. The story of Nadra is a proud chapter in the nation’s history.
