Nadra, the National Database and Registration Authority, has created the National Sex Offenders Registry (NSOR) platform, which includes an SMS verification service to aid in the identification and monitoring of individuals who have been convicted of sexual offenses against children and women 1 . The database is connected to various law enforcement agencies and provincial governments to ensure that updates are made in real-time.
The goal of this initiative is to prevent sexual violence and abuse by creating a more dynamic and responsive service for institutions and the public. An SMS-based verification service has been established to alert citizens, employers, and departments to the presence of such offenders. The Nadra Chairman, Tariq Malik, expressed his commitment to this initiative, stating that it is critical to safeguarding women and children from sexual violence and abuse.
The service enables citizens to verify the CNIC numbers of individuals who are being hired for household chores, at mosques, colleges, universities, or any other employment to ensure that they are not sexual convicts and can be trusted around women and children. The purpose of this service is to provide citizens and institutions with quick and easy access to information about sex offenders. The information can also be used to locate offenders to prevent future crimes and ensure that they are held accountable for their actions.
Upon provision of CNIC by the individual being hired, the citizens can verify whether he is a convicted sex offender or not by sending a 13-digit CNIC number to 7000 (SMS short code). Upon verification he/she will receive a reply in Urdu: “Beware! ABC son of XYZ is a convict. Don’t let him be around children and women.”
