Security Lapses at NADRA Raise Alarm After Gujrat Tragedy

By Farzana Chaudhry
Lahore, Pakistan
Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), regarded as one of the country’s most sensitive institutions due to its vast repository of citizens’ personal, family, and biometric data, is facing growing scrutiny over security shortcomings following a tragic incident at its Executive Office in Gujrat.
The heartbreaking episode, in which a female NADRA employee was allegedly shot dead by her husband inside the office before the accused took his own life, has sparked serious concerns regarding security arrangements at NADRA centers across the country. Both victims died at the scene.
The incident has raised critical questions about how an armed individual managed to enter a highly sensitive government facility and why existing security protocols failed to prevent the tragedy despite the presence of security personnel.
NADRA centers are considered among Pakistan’s most important institutions, handling confidential citizen data and providing essential services such as Computerized National Identity Cards (CNICs), B-Forms, Family Registration Certificates, and other official documentation. Under standard security protocols, facilities of this nature are expected to maintain strict entry checks, walk-through gates, body searches, and continuous surveillance systems.
However, the Gujrat incident has cast doubt on the effectiveness of these arrangements.
Eyewitnesses reported scenes of panic and fear among citizens present inside the office during the shooting. Police and rescue teams later reached the site, collected evidence, and launched an investigation, but the loss of two lives has left lasting shock and grief.
This is not the first time concerns have emerged regarding security conditions at NADRA centers. In recent years, complaints related to overcrowding, mismanagement, and security gaps have surfaced from multiple cities, yet critics argue that insufficient reforms have allowed vulnerabilities to persist.
According to NADRA sources, the organization operates more than 800 registration centers nationwide, including over 30 Mega Centers, around 80 Executive Centers, general registration offices, women-specific facilities, and mobile registration units. Major cities including Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Multan, Peshawar, Quetta, Hyderabad, Gujranwala, and Sialkot host large-scale centers that serve thousands of citizens daily.
Despite this extensive network, sources claim that walk-through gates at many facilities remain non-functional, the number of security personnel is inadequate, and weapon screening systems are either weak or absent altogether.
Particular concern has also been expressed regarding the safety of female employees working in NADRA offices. Thousands of women serve in various roles including data entry operators, assistant managers, and registration officers. However, many offices reportedly lack separate entry points for women and do not have adequate emergency response mechanisms in place.
Observers say the Gujrat tragedy has exposed a troubling reality: even employees in one of the country’s most sensitive institutions, especially women, may not be sufficiently protected.
Public criticism has intensified over whether NADRA’s administration is taking security threats seriously enough. Questions are being raised about accountability, with critics asking whether human lives are being given adequate importance within institutions entrusted with safeguarding billions of records and sensitive data.
Civil society representatives and social organizations have called for an immediate review of security arrangements at all NADRA facilities. Their demands include strict screening of visitors, improved protection for employees, particularly women, activation of modern security systems, and transparent action against officials found negligent.
NADRA employees have also urged authorities to install and activate advanced walk-through gates and metal detectors at all centers, deploy trained armed security staff, introduce special SOPs for the protection of female employees, and strengthen coordination with security agencies in sensitive areas.
Responding to media queries, NADRA spokesperson Syed Shabahat Ali stated that the matter is currently under police investigation and that the department would refrain from issuing comments or opinions until official findings are completed.
According to the spokesperson, NADRA follows a clear institutional policy under which official positions are issued only after departmental reports are finalized, and no individual officer is authorized to provide an independent version. He added that due to the sensitive nature of the case, no formal clarification would be issued until all facts become clear.
Analysts believe that while the Gujrat tragedy is deeply painful, it also presents an opportunity for NADRA and relevant authorities to reassess and strengthen security protocols nationwide. Given NADRA’s proven expertise in technology and data management, observers say the institution has the capacity to implement modern security mechanisms, clear operational SOPs, and stronger staff protection measures.
Experts warn that unless practical and timely reforms are introduced, similar incidents could occur again in the future. They stress that ensuring the safety of employees and citizens visiting NADRA offices must become an urgent national priority to restore public confidence in one of Pakistan’s most sensitive institutions.