NADRA partners up to ID thousands of deceased people with biometrics

Pakistan‘s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Chhipa Welfare Association to biometrically identify dead bodies.

As part of the agreement, NADRA said it and Chhipa created a digital identification app and deployed NADRA’s fingerprint and face biometric scanners.

According to data shared by the Authority with Biometric Update, it completed the identification process of 6,673 unidentified dead bodies so far, of which 4,427 were handed over to respective families.

The MoU comes weeks after the biometric systems were announced as nearly completed, but wrangling over who should pay slowed the process.

The project’s creation was first prompted after hospital workers in Pakistan publicly complained about the number of unverified, abandoned dead bodies left in medical facilities.

NADRA also confirmed its chairman Tariq Malik met with the country’s Citizens Police Liaison Committee (CPLC) and will provide access to law enforcement to the new biometric system to help the force with identification of dead bodies located at the morgue facilities of the Edhi Foundation and Chhipa in Pakistan.

The agency is also helping the Edhi Foundation, a non-profit social benefit organization, to identify lost and homeless people and unconscious patients.

Further, the Agency confirmed they approached the health department of the Punjab Government for the provision of the biometric digital identification system.

Assembly requests DNA tests for ID cards issuance

The Balochistan Assembly in Pakistan issued a resolution to the federal government to make DNA tests mandatory for citizens before providing computerized national identity cards (CNIC).

In particular, the document stated that not having a DNA database with the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) creates difficulties in identifying criminals.

The proposal was adopted unanimously, according to DAWN, with the parliament quoting its advantages of delivering stricter security in the country.

The resolution was reportedly moved by Balochistan Awami Party’s Bushra Rind on a Monday session presided over by acting Speaker Sardar Babar Khan Musakhail.

Article Topics

biometric identification  |  biometrics  |  digital ID  |  digital ID cards  |  dna  |  forensics  |  NADRA  |  Pakistan