For the first time in the country’s history, on the instructions of Interior Minister Syed Mohsin Naqvi, the government has decided to introduce B forms having special security features for children over 10 years old.
These forms will bear the thumb impressions as well as pictures of the children and their issuance will start from January 15 in phases.
In his comments, the interior minister has expressed the hope that these forms will prevent the misuse of children’s identity marks.
He has said the forms will also help the government combat human smugglers, who rely on making fake identity cards and passports for children to facilitate their journey to Europe.
“I congratulate the NADRA chairman, DG Passport and their team for introducing reforms in the B-Form in such a short time,” Naqvi has added.
On the other hand, the spokesman for the Interior Ministry has said that in the first phase, thumb impressions and photographs of children over 10 years old and less than 18 years old will be taken at NADRA centers from January 15.
“It has been made mandatory that these children will be accompanied either by their mother or father or a legal guardian,” he has said, adding, “The parents will have to bring with them their computerized national identity cards as well as computerized birth certificates of their kids as issued by a union council or a town committee.”
Similarly, he has explained, the kids will have to present these forms issued by the NADRA at the time of applying for a new passport.
The spokesman has gone on to say that then the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports will compare children’s thumb impressions and their photographs with the NADRA’s database.
He has added that more reforms will be introduced in the next phase. “Facilities will be provided at union councils for obtaining thumb impressions, taking pictures as well as scanning the eye marks of children,” the spokesman has elaborated.
He has also said that all Pakistani citizens will be issued digital IDs.
