Officially, he doesn’t exist. Ahmed Raza, 19, dreams of owning property, studying, or travelling—but these goals remain out of reach. Like millions of other Pakistanis, he has no form of official identification.

Islamabad

Millions of Pakistanis, like Ahmed Raza and his mother Mariam Suleiman, live without identification documents, making it difficult to access education, secure employment, or move freely. The lack of documentation often stems from missed registration at birth, and the cost of obtaining papers can be prohibitive for low-income families. 

UNICEF is working in remote areas such as Rajanpur to raise awareness about the risks faced by undocumented children, including child marriage, labor, and trafficking. While Pakistan has introduced biometric ID cards and made registration increasingly necessary for daily life, poverty remains a barrier. UNICEF's efforts have led to an increase in birth registration rates in some regions, but many still remain without legal identity.

The shadow lives of Pakistanis who are stateless in their own country

Like millions of Pakistanis, Ahmed Raza and his mother Mariam Suleiman lack identification papers. Usually, parents wait until children begin school at age five to obtain a birth certificate. But Ahmed slipped through the cracks and when his middle school requested ID, he had to withdraw. With no papers, he's also unable to get a good job. I couldn't continue my studies because I don't have my parents' ID cards. When I go outside my area, the police often stop me and ask for my papers. They create problems for me. Mariam married young and didn't understand the importance of being registered. Now she's a widow, meaning the paperwork Ahmed needs would cost a month and a half's income for the two of them. In remote Punjab villages like Rajanpur, UNICEF is trying to prevent people from falling into the same fate. They warn parents that undocumented children face higher risks of child marriage, child labour and child trafficking. All of these have specific laws, but there are certain age stipulations within these laws. So if a child does not have a legal identity and you're not able to prove the age of that child, then you will not be able to enforce these laws. Pakistan launched biometric ID cards in 2000 and registration is increasingly required in all aspects of formal life. The fees range from $0 to $7, still a burden for many Pakistanis, about 45% of whom live in poverty. Though UNICEF's campaigning has seen a jump in Rajanpur's birth registration rates from 6% in 2018 to nearly 18% last year.

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Washington

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Breakdown