President Asif Ali Zardari Thursday directed that a comprehensive plan be prepared so that within one year every eligible citizen gets a computerized national identity card and no one is left without this basic document.

The Presidential directive was issued after the President noted the slow pace of issuance of CNICs from a weekly NADRA report.

Spokesperson to the President former Senator Farhat Ullah Babar said that the President expressed concern over the very slow pace and observed that with this pace it would take several years to issue CNICs to eligible citizens.

The president also directed that the plan be prepared and got approved by the Cabinet within one month.

The Presidential directive in fact means that every eligible citizen should have a CNIC by August next year, the Spokesperson said.