ISLAMABAD, April 9, 2025: The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has officially terminated Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) services at General Post Offices (GPOs) across the country, citing low public awareness and limited usage.
The service, launched three years ago under a government initiative, was part of a strategic collaboration between NADRA and Pakistan Post aimed at improving public access to essential identity-related services. The counters were established to handle CNIC renewals, address changes, photo and signature updates, and marital status modifications, among other functions.
Despite offering convenience to the public, the initiative failed to gain traction, with NADRA officials pointing to insufficient public awareness as the primary reason for poor turnout.
“Due to the extremely low number of applicants at post office counters, the facilities have been shut down. The equipment will be transferred to union councils in the upcoming fiscal year,” a NADRA spokesperson confirmed.
Following the decision, NADRA has instructed staff to return all equipment, deposit collected fees, and ensure delivery of any ready CNICs before dismantling the counters. The equipment will be reallocated to union councils in an effort to decentralise service delivery in the next fiscal year.
The programme, initially planned as a 10-year partnership, has been discontinued just three years after launch, affecting approximately 83 service counters across all four provinces and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
In Karachi, 10 major post office locations — including II Chundrigar Road and Saddar GPO — have already ceased CNIC operations. These counters had provided some relief to NADRA mega centres by reducing foot traffic and wait times.
“The service did help ease pressure at NADRA offices, but most people simply didn’t know these counters existed,” said an official familiar with the project.
Planned public outreach campaigns, including promotions via social media and mass communication platforms, were never executed at scale, further contributing to the service’s low visibility and underperformance.
NADRA now plans to strengthen CNIC service delivery at the grassroots level through union council offices, where the reassigned equipment is expected to support localised access to identity services.
