Pakistan has emerged as one of the few countries in the world where 96 percent of the adult population has been registered through the most secure biometric technology, introduced by National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), the authority said on Friday.
NADRA spokeswoman said that the registration level in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was 99.9 percent, followed by Punjab, 99 percent, Gilgit-Baltistan 89 percent, Sindh and FATA, 88 percent, and Balochistan, 76 percent, against the projected population.
“Our focus is now Sindh and Balochistan and we are moving ahead in FATA despite severe law and order situation,” the spokeswoman said, adding that the task would be achieved within this year.
“On the chairman’s directives, the authority has embarked upon a crash drive to reach out to the citizens of Pakistan for CNICs on war footing. It is making all-out efforts to register the adult population in Pakistan, especially the women, in a minimum possible time to facilitate them in getting voting rights, education, health, employment and other facilities. Out of the total 92 million CNIC holders, females are 40 million in number,” the spokeswoman said.
“Four years ago, less than 50 percent of women were registered. The total number of women included in the national database is 39.77 million. Out of these, 5.29 million are in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 594,514 in FATA, 22 million in Punjab, 8.6 million in Sindh, 1.45 million in Balochistan, 356,151 in Islamabad Capital Territory, 270,132 in Giglit-Baltistan and 1.12 million in Azad Kashmir. NADRA is also reaching out to NGOs to help facilitate women in obtaining CNICs and achieve 100 percent registration of women across the country,” she added.
“So far, NADRA has registered over 86 percent of women in the country, which is quite significant in the enhancement of female voter lists. NADRA is making all-out efforts to extend its Data Acquisition Units (DAUs) to the doorsteps of citizens and perform registration operations through numerous mobile units. NADRA has 452 National Registration Centers, 252 Mobile Registration Vans and 70 Semi Mobile Units. Countrywide registration centres are registering adults in far-flung areas. To encourage women, Friday has been reserved only for women at all NADRA centres throughout the country. Women-only NADRA centres with female-only staff have also been facilitating women in acquiring CNICs. NADRA has increased its infrastructure by 83% by adding more static offices, Mobile Registration Vans and Semi Mobile Registration Units. NADRA is also reaching out to NGOs to help facilitate women in obtaining the CNICs and achieve 100 percent registration of women across the country,” the spokeswoman said.
She also highlighted the role of NGOs in raising public awareness and said that UN was supporting NADRA by providing technical advice about gender equality and empowerment of women.
Non-governmental organisation Aurat Foundation was helping the authority in running public awareness programmes, she added.
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Quelle/Source: Daily Times, 18.08.2012
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