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ISLAMABAD: The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has changed its policy of binding women to change their surname on their computerised national identity card (CNIC) after marriage, the authority’s chairperson Nadra Tariq Malik announced.
Addressing the concluding session of the 14th Annual Rural Women Conference, Tariq Malik announced that revolutionary steps had been taken to increase women’s registration to empower and protect their rights.
The conference was attended by more than 500 women from 109 districts. It aimed at improving the economic conditions of rural women, appreciating their role in agriculture and condemning violence against them.
“Women now have the authority to register themselves with their father’s or husband’s name,” Malik said, reiterating, “It’s their choice and not of a man’s.” He pointed out that the practice of making women adopt their husband’s name on their CNICs was an “unofficial policy”.
The NADRA chairman also clarified it was no law that made it compulsory for women to take their husband’s name or seek permission from the husband for updating their name on the CNIC after getting married.
Malik announced that they had reduced the existing registration gap between women and men from 14% to 10% in 100 days. Besides, he added, an inclusive registration unit had been set up that was working rigorously to increase women registration.
Malik said that an ID card empowers its holder to cast vote, register a case, open a bank account, access government facilities. “It’s not just a piece of plastic; it’s a source to empower you,” he added.
He said Nadra was holding “open kachehri” for women across the country to listen to their complaints, adding that changes in the registration policy were also on the cards.
The Nadra chairman warned that corruption in the authority would not be tolerated adding that 262 employees had been charged with malpractices, while 107 employees were sacked.
