National Socio-Economic Registry (NSER)
Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP)
Last reviewed October 2026
Send a correctionWhat it does
NSER is the household database the Benazir Income Support Programme uses to decide who qualifies for cash support. BISP says it covers about 35 million households: who lives in each, their identity card numbers, education, work and assets. Other social programmes ask BISP for this data.
Why it matters
What this registry says about a household decides whether it receives cash support, and the data is shared with other programmes.
Legal basis: Benazir Income Support Programme Act, 2010 (Act No. XVIII of 2010).
On the register because: it holds records on at least a million people or covers the whole country; it holds identity, biometric, health, financial, location or communications data; its records are used to decide something about an individual.
How it scores
52.7 out of 100
42.6 to 63.2 if the weights change
The nineteen questions
This record shows what the agency has published. Not found means nothing was found in the places searched on the date checked. It does not mean the safeguard does not exist.
System disclosure
TransparencyDoes the agency say what this system is for and what it is used to decide?
DisclosedShow evidence
In the agency's words:
p. 10: The NSER enables BISP to identify eligible families for both conditional cash and unconditional cash assistance.
Checked 8 October 2026. Archived copy.
Does the agency cite the law, rule or notification this system runs under?
DisclosedNSER Data Sharing Protocols v3.0 cite the BISP Act 2010 and its section 10(c).
Show evidence
In the agency's words:
s.7, p. 12: [BISP Act 2010, section 10(c)] to identify eligible persons or families for financial assistance or other benefits
Checked 8 October 2026. Archived copy.
Does the agency list the kinds of personal data this system holds?
DisclosedThe NSER Annual Report FY 2022-23, p. 1, adds categories: geographic, demographic, family composition, education, employment, assets, dwelling, water and sanitation, agriculture.
Show evidence
In the agency's words:
the registry's roster data (Name, CNIC, Marital Status, Gender, Status of Differently-abled Persons)
Checked 8 October 2026. Saved copy.
Is there a named office or officer responsible for the data in this system, with contact details?
DisclosedNamed post and a contact route specific to the registry. Post-holder as published in the report of July 2023.
Show evidence
In the agency's words:
Naveed Akbar, Director General, NSER/CCT ... NSER Operations Team, +92 51-9246326 Ext: 314, dynamic.nser@bisp.gov.pk
Checked 8 October 2026. Saved copy.
Flows and sharing
TransparencyDoes the agency say which other public bodies receive or can query this data?
DisclosedNamed bodies integrated for data exchange. The NSER web page adds that 29 organisations requested datasets since January 2022 without listing them.
Show evidence
In the agency's words:
p. 40: Pakistan Bait-ul-Mal; National Poverty Graduation Programme; Sehat Tahafuz Program; Punjab Information Technology Board; Punjab Social Protection Authority; Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund; Food Department, KP; Utility Stores Corporation
Checked 8 October 2026. Saved copy.
Does the agency name the companies or outside bodies that build or run this system?
Partly disclosedPublic partners are named with roles. The HR firm is not named, and no builder or host of the registry software is named.
Show evidence
In the agency's words:
PDF p. 6: our Technological partners, including NADRA and NTC ... PDF p. 18: Implementation arrangements with NADRA and NTC for the operationalization of enhanced data inter-operability ... PDF p. 44: The German Corporation for International Cooperation GmbH (GIZ), through a 3rd party HR firm, provided 1250 human resources
Checked 8 October 2026. Saved copy.
Does the agency say where the data is stored and whether any of it leaves Pakistan?
Not foundWhere we looked
NSER web page; Data Sharing Protocols v3.0 (says only 'BISP stores such variable in an encrypted manner'); Annual Report FY 2022-23; NSER Report 2024. Checked 8 October 2026.
Accountability records
TransparencyHas the agency named an official who answers information requests, and said how to file one?
DisclosedNamed officer, request form, postal route and time limit.
Show evidence
In the agency's words:
Qurat-ul-Ain Fatima, Director (MCO), 051-9210709 ... Requested information should be provided to you within 10 working days.
Checked 8 October 2026. Saved copy.
Are audit, evaluation or performance reports that cover this system published?
Partly disclosedSelf-published and descriptive; it does not evaluate the registry and is more than three years old on 8 October 2026. The NSER Report 2024 is a progress report on mobile registration vans.
Show evidence
In the agency's words:
National Socio-Economic Registry (Dynamic NSER), Annual Report FY 2022-23, NSER Wing, July 2023
Checked 8 October 2026. Saved copy.
Has a privacy or data protection impact assessment of this system been published?
Not foundWhere we looked
NSER web page; Data Sharing Protocols v3.0; Annual Report FY 2022-23; NSER Report 2024; BISP Laws/Policies list. Checked 8 October 2026.
Rules on use
SafeguardsIs there a privacy notice or data policy that covers this system?
DisclosedA published data policy specific to the registry. It is written for bodies requesting the data, not for the households in it; no notice addressed to households was found. Counted in full under reading rule R-2.
Show evidence
In the agency's words:
PDF p. 9: National Socio-Economic Registry Data Sharing Protocols (Version 3.0). This document describes the design and operational methodologies of data sharing and integration for National Socio-Economic Registry (NSER) with other public and private sector organizations, considering value and security of the database. 1st Aug 2022
Checked 8 October 2026. Archived copy.
Does the agency say how long records in this system are kept?
Not foundWhere we looked
Data Sharing Protocols v3.0 (retention, archiving and deletion not addressed); NSER web page (says data is 'updated every four years', which is a refresh cycle); Annual Report FY 2022-23. Checked 8 October 2026.
Does the agency state limits on using this data for anything beyond its stated purpose?
Partly disclosedThe Protocols set conditions on sharing (committee approval, NDA, classification). Nothing limits BISP's own use, and no limit on recipients' onward use was found.
Show evidence
In the agency's words:
s.10.1, p. 28: BISP does not share complete data of a Household with any entity.
Checked 8 October 2026. Archived copy.
Individual rights
SafeguardsDoes the agency explain how a person can see their own record?
Partly disclosedA household can check eligibility status, not see its record.
Show evidence
In the agency's words:
You may check your eligibility status online on https://8171.pass.gov.pk
Checked 8 October 2026. Archived copy.
Does the agency explain how a person can get an error in their record corrected?
DisclosedRoster updates (birth, death, marital status) are offered at desks and through an Android app; the registration guide says what to bring (CNICs, B-Forms).
Show evidence
In the agency's words:
Benazir Registration Desks have been established at the tehsil level to cater to missed-out HHs
Checked 8 October 2026. Saved copy.
Is there a complaint route for misuse of this data, with a stated response time?
Partly disclosedA complaint menu exists. No response time is stated and nothing mentions data misuse. The 'Complaint Redressel' link is script-driven and could not be opened by machine.
Show evidence
In the agency's words:
Complaint Cell: Complaint Redressel; PMDU; Procurement Grievances / Complaints Registration
Checked 8 October 2026. Saved copy.
Can a person find out who has accessed their record?
Not foundWhere we looked
Data Sharing Protocols v3.0 (s.8.2.3 requires BISP to log each data request internally; no way for a household to see the log); NSER web page; registration guide. Checked 8 October 2026.
Security and oversight
SafeguardsHas the agency committed to telling people about data breaches, or published a record of past ones?
Not foundWhere we looked
Data Sharing Protocols v3.0 (incident and breach handling not addressed); NSER web page; Annual Report FY 2022-23; NSER Report 2024. Checked 8 October 2026.
Does the agency say who independently audits the security or data handling of this system, and how often?
Partly disclosedAudits are asserted; no auditor, standard or date is given. The Protocols, s.8.2.4, refer to 'recommendations of Information Security Audit' without naming it.
Show evidence
In the agency's words:
p. 8: Rigorous Cyber Security audits of the new system
Checked 8 October 2026. Saved copy.
Agency reply
Not yet sent to the agency.
Sources
Official pages and documents cited on this record.
- https://www.bisp.gov.pk/SiteImage/Misc/files/NSER%20Report%202024.pdf
- https://www.bisp.gov.pk/SiteImage/Misc/files/nser_data_sharing_docs_2023.pdf
- https://www.bisp.gov.pk/Detail/NzI5YTMyYTMtYjE1My00NGUwLTgwYTItZWUwYTZkYWZjYmNj
- https://www.bisp.gov.pk/SiteImage/Misc/files/FINAL%20NSER%202022-23.pdf
- https://www.bisp.gov.pk/Detail/NWMwMzQwNWItZTUzMS00ODQ4LWJkNmEtYjMwMzZkN2Y3NDU5
- https://www.bisp.gov.pk/SiteImage/Misc/files/NSEREngUrdu_2022.pdf
- https://www.bisp.gov.pk/