In April 2018, long lines outside NADRA's North Nazimabad mega centre in Karachi had become routine. Dawn reported hundreds of applicants and described a man who spent a full day trying, unsuccessfully, to renew identity cards for family members. Demand exceeded capacity even at a large facility advertised as operating around the clock.
What distinguishes this queue is that neither the 'mega centre' label nor 24-hour operation guaranteed relief from waiting. Obtaining or renewing a national identity card was a prerequisite for many public and private transactions, so a day lost at this counter was also a day in which other systems remained out of reach.