Officials from the National Database and Registration Authority and the Ministry of Interior briefed the Senate Standing Committee on Information Technology on data leaks, security improvements, and irregularities found in Pakistani family tree records during a meeting held at the Parliament House. The session also included an update from the Deputy Commissioner Islamabad on the ongoing household survey being conducted through the Household App.
The Deputy Commissioner informed the committee that citizen participation through self-enumeration has declined, prompting authorities to prepare the launch of a door-to-door survey application to improve data collection. Interior Ministry officials told lawmakers that NADRA’s database security has significantly improved over the past year, adding that the newly appointed NADRA chairman has introduced enhanced security features to strengthen data protection.
Officials disclosed that past reviews uncovered foreign nationals wrongly included in Pakistani family trees, a loophole that raised serious security concerns. Following detailed scrutiny, nearly 80 percent of such incorrect entries have been removed, while efforts are ongoing to purge remaining foreign records from the national database. Authorities stressed the importance of having accurate data on residents, particularly in Islamabad, to ensure effective governance and security.
The committee was informed that data gathered through self-enumeration is highly sensitive, especially in light of previous incidents where Pakistani citizens’ information was allegedly sold on the dark web. Senator Afnanullah recalled that earlier investigations into data breaches led to the dismissal of 15 NADRA officials, but noted that these actions were not sufficient to fully address the scale of the damage caused by the leaks.
NADRA officials assured the committee that robust measures are now in place to safeguard citizen data, including regular third-party security audits to assess vulnerabilities and protection standards. They added that further improvements are underway, and confirmed that the NADRA chairman will present a comprehensive briefing on data security and protection mechanisms at the committee’s next meeting.
