The Election Commission (EC) announced today that individuals aged 16 and above are now eligible to apply for the National Identity Card (NID). The commission has also removed the need to submit a General Diary (GD) when replacing a lost NID.

EC Secretariat Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed said the new measures aim to simplify procedures and reduce public inconvenience. “Many citizens face challenges due to incomplete documentation. With this provision, anyone 16 or older can now apply for the NID,” he said.

Highlighting the removal of the GD requirement, he added, “Previously, citizens had to file a GD to replace a lost NID. Now, a second NID can be obtained without it, making the process faster and easier.”

The EC also reported that under the NID correction crash programme, 907,662 correction applications were processed in the first six months of 2025 out of 984,356 submissions, significantly easing citizens’ difficulties.

MN/