The federal government has decided to make fingerprints and photographs mandatory for children over the age of 10 as part of their Child Registration Certificate (CRC), commonly known as B-Form.
For the first time in Pakistan’s history, fingerprints and photographs will become integral components of the B-Form — a significant step aimed at preventing identity theft and misuse of information.
Under the phased implementation, special registration certificates will be issued starting January 15. The National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), in collaboration with the Passport Department, will collect biometric data and photographs of children aged 10 to 18 during the first phase, according to the Ministry of Interior’s spokesperson.
Parents or legal guardians must accompany the children and bring their CNICs along with the child’s computerized birth certificate, the spokesperson stated.
Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi lauded Nadra and the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports for introducing these reforms.
The minister emphasized that the initiative would help combat crimes such as the creation of fake IDs, illegal passport acquisition, and human trafficking.
Following these changes, children in the specified age group must present the updated B-Form, containing fingerprints and photographs, when applying for new passports.
The older version of the B-Form, lacking these security features, will no longer be accepted.
The interior ministry spokesperson added that Nadra will take further steps to integrate its identification system with provincial civil registration management systems and enhance services via the Pak-ID mobile app.
Future reforms include the introduction of iris scans and biometric facilities at union councils to strengthen the national identification process.
As part of its broader digital transformation strategy, the ministry also plans to issue digital IDs to all Pakistani citizens.
