THE Consulate General of Pakistan, Jeddah, has replaced the existing form-based manual National Identity Card for Overseas Pakistanis (NICOP) processing system used at the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) office, giving way to a faster interactive data computing system for the registration of an applicant. “NADRA has replaced the old procedure with the newest technology,” said Jameel Khan, press consul at the consulate. “The aim of this system is to acquire quality data of the Pakistani community,” he said. According to the new procedure, the manual booking system for forms at the NADRA Swift Registration Centers (NSRC), including those held during consular visits has been discontinued. “This is a milestone and a step which will avoid delays and factual errors,” said Faiz Al-Najdi, a Riyadh-based social worker and senior structural engineer. The new system has already been activated in Riyadh. “It was time-consuming to fill out manual forms and post them to Islamabad. At times, the forms would return after two months due to problems like inaccurate thumb impression. Hence, the process took more than three months,” said Najdi. The Computerized National Identity Cards (CNIC) are printed in Urdu and target the local population in Pakistan; whereas the NICOP is printed in English for overseas Pakistanis. A person applying for NICOP does not have to surrender his CNIC. It is mandatory to acquire NICOP for all non-resident Pakistanis who are either residing or intend to reside abroad for over six months. NICOP is an identification document used as a substitute for the National Identity Card (NIC). It is issued to an emigrant\overseas worker as proof of his\her identity as an emigrant under the law. It is also essential for the issuance\change\renewal of passports through any Pakistani mission abroad. “All Pakistani expatriates intending to obtain NICOP are required to register by visiting in person. Children and infants are also required to be present at the registrations,” consulate officials in Jeddah said. “Consular visits of the NADRA (National Database and Registration Authority) officials will now be carried out after Semi Mobile Units (SMU) become available. The application will be submitted online and the required photographs will be shot at the same time,” said Khan. Earlier, NADRA officials received manual request forms for NICOP. NICOP can also be directly applied for online, whereby the identity cards will be delivered by NADRA at the applicant's address. Online applications for NICOP can be submitted at NADRA's website www.nadra.gov.pk. Applicants receiving their cards from the Pakistani embassy/consulate/mission must pay SR60 per card, while those in remote areas visited by the consular teams pay SR75. “There is nothing like a home-delivery service, but if a person wants his NICOP delivered at home, he must pay extra for the DHL service,” said Muhammad Sarfaraz Ahmed Khanzada, Deputy Ambassador of Pakistan in Riyadh. He said the Pakistani Embassy in Riyadh issues, on an average, 63 NICOP per day. Khanzada said that NICOP can be issued within 20 days of registration through the data computing system. However, the same takes at least six to eight weeks when applied for through manual forms. “Our consular teams in Riyadh conduct 56 visits annually, covering 13 cities, while the consulate team in Jeddah covers nine cities in the Western Region with over 100 visits per year,” he said. Acknowledging the new developments, Dr. Muhammad Ali, a Pakistani medical official, said that it has helped him to save time and effort. “It is also good that the validity of NICOP has been increased,” he added. Upon issuance, NICOP shall be valid for a period of ten years from the date of issuance. Despite the validity period of NICOP issued to a person, the same can automatically become invalid if the said person loses his eligibility to apply for NICOP. The cardholder shall then be obliged to surrender his card. “It is good to reap the benefits of technology. The government of Pakistan has succeeded to create interest and awareness among the masses and has helped them in obtaining their identity cards, namely, CNIC, NICOP, etc.,” said Ahmed Raza, a Jeddah-based Pakistani IT engineer. NADRA provides CNIC free of cost, making it easier for people to benefit from social welfare programs like the Benazir Income Support Program, etc., in Pakistan, where a large number of citizens are showing a keen interest to register in the national database, as is evident from the long queues in front of NADRA centers across the country. – SGDocuments required • Acompletely filled English application form (Not required for the new data computing system) • Two passport size photographs (for manual form applicants only) • Copy of Pakistani passport or foreign passport in case of dual nationality. • Copy of National ID Card (NIC) or any other evidence. In case neither is available, the registration of Pakistani children born abroad may be submitted. • Marriage certificate __
