Does a Union Council Death Certificate Automatically Cancel CNIC? NADRA Issues Clarification

ISLAMABAD: The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has issued an important clarification regarding whether a deceased person’s Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) is automatically cancelled after the issuance of a death certificate by a Union Council.

During a podcast, NADRA spokesperson Syed Shabahat Ali was asked whether the authority independently cancels a citizen’s CNIC on the basis of a death certificate issued by a Union Council.

In response, he clarified that the issuance of a Union Council death certificate does not automatically result in the cancellation of the deceased person’s CNIC. Instead, the identity card is temporarily deactivated on the basis of the relevant record, while its formal cancellation requires a separate procedure.

He explained that declaring a person deceased in Union Council records and formally cancelling their CNIC through NADRA are two separate processes.

According to the spokesperson, a death certificate issued by a Union Council merely informs NADRA that the concerned individual has been officially recorded as deceased in the local government records.

Following this, the deceased person’s family members or close relatives can approach NADRA to apply for cancellation of the CNIC.

The authority further stated that biometric verification of the relative submitting the cancellation application is mandatory.

This verification is carried out to ensure that the applicant genuinely belongs to the deceased person’s family record and is listed in the relevant family tree maintained by NADRA.

The clarification aims to explain the distinction between temporary deactivation and formal cancellation of a deceased citizen’s identity card.