In 1997, the country had been struggling for years to conduct a national population census after repeated delays. With every administrative unit having its own estimates, it was difficult to convince internal stakeholders and international development partners on demographical data estimates.
The Pakistan Armed Forces were called in aid of civil power by then Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, and Headquarters Army Air Defense Command was made responsible to coordinate the conduct of the 6th National Population Census. The project was assigned to Major General Zahid Ihsan. While the immediate mission was to conduct the census, Major General Zahid saw a greater opportunity “one that would not just count individuals but document and integrate them into a sustainable identity system.” Consequently, a centralized, secure and digitized national database was envisioned. The pioneering technical team comprised of Brigadier Muddassir Ashgar Khan (Signals), Lieutenant Colonel Syed Talmeez Abbas (Air Defense) and Major Suhail Iqbal (Engineers) while Brigadier Shahid Bahram (Army Services Corps), Lieutenant Colonel Naeem Ahmed Khan (Air Defense) and Major Ajmal Kahloon (Baloch) provided logistics support. This conceptual framework was approved by the Government of Pakistan, and a new department National Database Organization (NDO) was created under the Ministry of Interior in March 1998.
The census being a massive undertaking, required 60 million data forms to be printed and distributed across Pakistan covering every household. It was decided to utilize this very cost-intensive national exercise to collect additional and comprehensive data of all citizens of Pakistan by visiting each and every household in the entire country twice. The National Data Forms (NDFs) were so comprehensively designed that to this day, the same Data Form is used as the application form for the CNIC. This laid the foundation of a nationwide digitized identity system making Pakistan one of the first countries to undertake such an initiative on this scale.
Despite limited resources, the project was executed with remarkable efficiency. Teams of Pakistan Armed Forces, Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS), school teachers and government servants were deployed to every household across provinces, including FATA, AJK, and GB. The first visit was to distribute the forms and the second was to collect them ensuring data accuracy. Once collected, digitization became the next challenge. At that time, high-speed scanners capable of processing such vast amounts of data were not available. Major General Zahid and his officers worked with industry experts to develop custom high-speed scanning solutions.
Urdu was also not yet a fully supported computing language, so efforts were made to standardize Urdu for digital processing with support from the National Language Authority. A dedicated workforce of 20,000 young Pakistanis was trained and deployed for Urdu data entry working in shifts around the clock to digitize the collected information. Their efforts led to the creation of the first-ever National Citizen Database.
General Pervez Musharraf was briefed on the progress and long-term potential of the project in early 2000. Recognizing its importance, he directed the continuation of efforts toward the documentation of Pakistan’s population. On his directive, in order to streamline identity management at the national level, the National Database Organization (NDO) was merged with the Directorate General of Registration (DGR) leading to the establishment of the National Database and Registration Authority through the NADRA Ordinance on 10th March 2000. Major General Zahid Ihsan was appointed as its first Chairman.
Despite the creation of NADRA, financial constraints posed a major challenge. With no initial budgetary allocations, the organization had to find innovative solutions to sustain itself. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) had to prepare voter lists for upcoming local body elections. NADRA repurposed its existing data collection efforts to develop Pakistan’s first-ever computerized electoral rolls at the request of ECP.
This innovative approach not only provided a digitized solution for national elections but also ensured the financial viability of NADRA. The ECP reimbursed NADRA Rs. 500 million which served as seed money to secure an additional Rs. 3.5 billion commercial loans from private-sector banks. This loan was promptly paid back. The financial model of self-sustainability established in these early days remains a hallmark of NADRA even today.
With this database in place, Pakistan launched the Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) in the year 2001, a secure and technologically advanced identity document that became essential for governance. Over time, it expanded to support passport issuance, border control and social protection initiatives. The CNIC facilitated Know Your Customer (KYC) services for financial transactions, social welfare programs and law enforcement.
A key factor in NADRA’s long-term success has been the dedication of its young professionals who joined the organization in its formative years with a sense of purpose and serving with commitment to the digital transformation of the country.
Although the journey had its share of challenges, the outcome has been transformative. Today, Pakistan stands among the few nations with a robustly digitized identity management system that serves as an enabler of governance, economic planning and social protection.
This is the story of NADRA—a tale of innovation, perseverance, and determination that has grown stronger over time, and today, it has become the foundation of the national identity system. The Pakistan Army, actively engaged in the defense and survival of the country, has played a key role in the establishment and evolution of NADRA.
