Jan 20 onwards, certificates available for elderly and medically vulnerable citizens

The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has rolled out a facial recognition-based biometric verification system to assist citizens who face challenges with fingerprint verification, especially the elderly and those with medical conditions.

According to a NADRA spokesperson, this initiative comes in line with directives from the Prime Minister and Interior Minister, aimed at enhancing identity verification processes. Updates to the National Identity Card rules now formally recognize facial recognition, expanding the legal definition of biometric verification.

NADRA confirmed that it is fully ready to implement the system and has requested government and private institutions to prepare for recognition of facial verification as an official method.

“The feature is already available in the Pak-Identity mobile app, and once Pakistan’s Digital ID system is fully launched, citizens will be able to use facial recognition verification directly through the app,” the spokesperson added.