Pak: NADRA introduces NSOR service to identify sex offenders

Islamabad [Pakistan], May 14 : For citizens to identify sex offenders of women and children, the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) have introduced a new platform, National Sex Offenders Registry (NSOR), coupled with an SMS verification service, reported ARY News.
The NSOR service assisted citizens and institutions all throughout the country in locating and tracking those who had been found guilty of sex crimes against women and children. It is a dynamic database of sexual offenders, according to a news release released here on Saturday.
Links with various law enforcement agencies and provincial governments have been established to allow for real-time updates. This change aims to make the service more dynamic and responsive to institutions and people at large in preventing sexual violence and abuse.
To beware of such culprits, an SMS-based verification service will alert citizens, employers and departments, according to ARY News.
Chairman of NADRA, Tariq Malik said, "This initiative has always remained closer to my heart, which is a critical step toward safeguarding women and children from sexual violence and abuse."
He declared that residents can now use this service, in order to confirm that anyone recruited for household chores, at mosques, colleges, or universities, or for any other employment, has a valid CNIC number, are not sexual offenders, have a clean criminal record, and can be trusted around women and children, according to ARY News.
The Chairman of NADRA also said, "Preventing even a single instance of child or woman from sexual abuse is not just an act of protection but also an investment in the future of our country."
"We owe it to the weakest of the weak, and our nation has to take this responsibility seriously. We must recognize that preventing children and women from sexual abuse is not just a matter of punishing offenders, but also of creating a culture of safety and protection for the most vulnerable segments, Children and women. Only then can we ensure that the next generation has the opportunity to thrive and succeed," he added.
Notably, the purpose of this service is to provide common citizens and institutions with quick and easy access to information about sex offenders, particularly those who may pose a potential threat to children and women in our well-knit communities, reported ARY News.
Additionally, the information can be utilised to track down criminals so that they can be prosecuted for their crimes and prevented from doing them again.
Pakistani residents can check whether a prospective employee is a convicted sex offender by submitting a 13-digit CNIC number to the SMS short code 7000 after receiving a CNIC from the individual being hired.
Upon verification, the person will receive an Urdu reply, "Beware! ABC son of XYZ is a convict. Don't let him be around children and women," ARY News reported.