Daily Times

The federal government has taken the decision that it will be reopening the NADRA office across Pakistan from the 4th of May.

As per a notification that was issued today, the directives of reopening the National Database and Registration Authority offices have been given by the Prime Minister.

The offices will perform bio-metric verification on the beneficiaries of the Ehsaas programme amid special arrangements made for the visitors to maintain social distancing due to coronavirus pandemic.

The verification process would be carried out using 600 NADRA centres and 200 mobile vans. The centres would remain open from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

The NADRA officials have been directed to ensure preventive measures at the offices before resuming the activity including provision of hand gloves and sanitizers to employees.

Notably, as part of precautionary measures against the spread of novel coronavirus, the government decided to close all the public dealing offices, including National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), passport and immigration and CDA One Window for two weeks across the country on March 20.

Besides, the registration authority has also given an extension in the expiry date of all the CNICs owing to the lapse between the 1st of September 2019 to the 30th of June 2020. However, an online request can be submitted.

Earlier it was in reports that NADRA had not been adopting the safety protocols adequately that it should against the novel virus.

An employee was quoted as saying that they get thousands of visitors at the offices on a per-day basis across the various offices in the country, and they all are put through the process of biometrics for thumb impressions in order to issue the CNICs, this could spread the virus.