A Senate Standing Committee on Interior officially passed the National Database and Registration Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2026 on Thursday, March 26. This landmark legislation grants NADRA the explicit statutory authority to provisionally impound or block the Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) of individuals including suspected illegal aliens and criminals evading justice for a period of up to two months. The move is designed to close a legal loophole that previously required a court order before an identity card could be restricted, often allowing suspects to access banking, travel, and mobile services while fleeing legal proceedings.
🇵🇰 Senate Standing Committee on #Interior & #NarcoticsControl met under chairmanship of Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman; reviews key legislation including amendments in #PakistanPenalCode, #Hudood laws, #NADRA law, Parliament Lodges issues & law & order briefing on Mardan. pic.twitter.com/NPd4i6ODNe
— ꜱᴇɴᴀᴛᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴘᴀᴋɪꜱᴛᴀɴ 🇵🇰 (@SenatePakistan) March 26, 2026
Officials briefed the committee that the CNIC is a “critical national security instrument” and that these amendments are “narrowly tailored” to balance state security with procedural rights. Under the new rules, any action to block a card must be accompanied by a written notice and an opportunity for the individual to respond. The committee also addressed concerns regarding Afghan nationals allegedly holding Pakistani IDs and vice versa, directing authorities to resolve these identification disputes swiftly. In the same session, NACTA officials highlighted a shift toward a “proactive, intelligence-led” approach to counter-terrorism, having analyzed extremist content and engaged over 180 stakeholders in a national prevention plan since late 2025.
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