Pakistan has cancelled thousands of Computerised National Identity Cards (CNICs) after investigations identified cases involving fraud, forgery, and unlawful registration, according to information shared by the Ministry of Interior in the National Assembly.
The ministry said some Afghan nationals had obtained Pakistani identity documents through fraudulent means. Authorities subsequently cancelled the affected cards after identifying irregularities in the registration process.
The figures provided in the ministry’s response show a significant increase in reported CNIC cancellations during 2026 compared with previous years. However, the annual figures listed in the report do not match the reported five-year total, leaving a discrepancy that requires further clarification.
According to the information presented, authorities cancelled 255,139 identity cards in 2026. This was substantially higher than the 624 cancellations reported for 2025.
The ministry’s figures also recorded 8,500 cancellations in 2024, 117 in 2023, and 62 in 2022.
Taken together, these annual figures total 264,442 cancellations. This is lower than the overall figure of more than 326,000 mentioned in the report. The available information does not explain the difference, so the complete total could not be established from the figures provided.
The Interior Ministry attributed the cancellations to cases involving fraudulent information, forged records, and identity documents obtained through unlawful registration. Officials said the affected cards were cancelled after irregularities were identified.
However, the report did not provide a detailed breakdown of the methods used to obtain the documents. It also did not specify how many cases involved each type of fraud or how many individuals faced criminal proceedings following the cancellations.
The information was shared with the National Assembly as part of the ministry’s response regarding identity card cancellations over the reported period. The figures offer an overview of the government’s action against identity documents found to have been obtained improperly.
Pakistan’s Computerised National Identity Card is an important official document used for identity verification across the country. It is commonly required for banking services, employment procedures, government transactions, and other administrative matters.
The cancellation of a CNIC can affect access to services that require valid identification. However, the reported action concerns identity documents identified as fraudulently obtained and does not indicate that ordinary citizens with valid records are automatically at risk.
People who have concerns about their identity records should contact the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) through its official channels to seek clarification about their individual cases.
The ministry’s disclosure highlights the scale of reported enforcement against identity document fraud, particularly the sharp rise in cancellations recorded for 2026. Nevertheless, clarification of the discrepancy between the annual figures and the reported overall total is needed to establish the full extent of the action.
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Further details from the Interior Ministry or NADRA would help clarify the total number of cancelled cards, the categories of cases involved, and any related legal proceedings.
