Pakistan Plans National Criminal Database With Unique IDs

Pakistan’s interior ministry is drafting a plan to establish the country’s first centralised criminal database, bringing together law enforcement records from across Pakistan under one system.

Under the proposed system, the National Police Bureau’s Command-and-Control Center would gather criminal records, which are now kept independently by provincial police agencies and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

The federal government will construct a Federal Crime List (FCL) to consolidate information received from provincial Inspectors General of Police and the FIA.

The database will contain many categories of criminal records. It will include proclaimed felons, absconders of court proceedings and persons wanted under arrest warrants or detention orders.

Records of members and office holders of banned organisations will also be included. The system will also be used to follow other people involved in organised crime between provinces and across borders.

The planned database would encompass major crimes, such as drug trafficking, human trafficking, illegal migration, terrorist financing and laundering of money. It will also record cases of cybercrime, financial fraud and crimes relating to organised begging.

The system will also include people named in Interpol red notices and other international alerts. Inter-provincial sharing of information on criminals and absconders is expected to enhance collaboration amongst law enforcement organisations.

The centrepiece of the idea is the creation of a unique national criminal identity number for each person added to the Federal Crime List.

This number will be connected to the individual’s national identity card wherever possible. It would let authorities link criminal records to verified identity information. It would also make it easier for law enforcement agencies to identify and follow suspects anywhere in the country.