Alhamdulillah! A Historic Milestone: NADRA Issues National Identity Card to Birth Defects Foundation’s First Intersex (DSD) Patient After Medical and Legal Sex Recognition

The Birth Defects Foundation (BDF), Pakistan, proudly announces a historic humanitarian achievement.

After nearly nine years of continuous medical care and advocacy since 2017, the Foundation has successfully helped its first Intersex (Differences of Sex Development – DSD) patient obtain a National Identity Card from the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) following medically established biological sex recognition and completion of the required legal process. This landmark success, achieved in July 2026, marks a major milestone in restoring legal identity and human dignity to individuals born with medically confirmed DSD.

Differences of Sex Development (DSD) are scientifically recognized congenital medical conditions affecting chromosomal, gonadal, or anatomical sex development. These conditions require specialized multidisciplinary medical care and should not be confused with gender identity or regarded as a third gender.

The Birth Defects Foundation follows internationally accepted, evidence-based medical protocols, including chromosomal analysis, hormonal evaluation, diagnostic imaging, laboratory investigations, and multidisciplinary clinical assessment. Where medically indicated, patients receive corrective treatment and reconstructive surgery to ensure that their legal identity accurately reflects their biologically established sex.

In this case, comprehensive medical evaluation confirmed that the patient’s biological sex was male. Accordingly, the patient’s legal identity was corrected from female to male based on verified medical evidence and in accordance with Pakistan’s legal procedures. This was not a change of genetic or biological sex but the legal recognition of the patient’s medically established biological sex.

The Foundation’s clinical approach has also been endorsed by the Council of Islamic Ideology (Pakistan), which concluded that the diagnosis and treatment of medically confirmed Intersex (DSD) patients are consistent with Islamic ethical principles.

Under the leadership of Professor Dr. Muhammad Afzal Sheikh, Chief Surgeon, the Birth Defects Foundation has performed more than 497 corrective surgeries for Intersex (DSD) patients, helping hundreds of children regain dignity, identity, and hope. Another medically confirmed DSD patient from the remote border region of Gilgit-Baltistan has also completed treatment, and the issuance of the patient’s National Identity Card is expected soon.

To protect the patient’s privacy and future well-being, no name, photograph, or personally identifiable information is being disclosed, in accordance with international medical ethics and patient confidentiality standards.

Accurate legal identity enables individuals with medically confirmed DSD to access education, healthcare, passports, banking, employment, inheritance, travel documentation, and other fundamental civil rights.

Important Clarification

This medical and legal process applies exclusively to individuals born with medically confirmed Differences of Sex Development (DSD/Intersex) supported by verified clinical evidence. It does not apply to transgender individuals.

The Birth Defects Foundation expresses its sincere appreciation to NADRA, the Council of Islamic Ideology, healthcare professionals, generous donors, philanthropic partners, and all institutions whose support made this humanitarian milestone possible.

The Foundation welcomes collaboration with governments, UN agencies, WHO, UNICEF, universities, healthcare institutions, research organizations, philanthropic foundations, and corporate CSR partners to expand access to diagnosis, treatment, research, advocacy, and social inclusion for children born with birth defects.

Together, we remain committed to ensuring that every child born with a birth defect can live with dignity, equality, and hope.

Issued by: Ansar Javaid Chairman Birth Defects Foundation (BDF), Pakistan +92 308 5781723 www.bdfpk.org