ISLAMABAD: In a major step toward digitalizing citizen services, the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports, in collaboration with the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), has launched a new online fingerprint verification system for passport applicants, resolving a long-standing technical hurdle.
The initiative, announced on Tuesday, specifically addresses complaints from overseas Pakistanis and senior citizens who faced difficulties with the previous online biometric process. Under the new system, applicants within Pakistan can now easily verify their fingerprints using the official Pak ID mobile application.
Director General of Passports, Mustafa Jamal Qazi, stated the move is part of a commitment to providing modern and accessible facilities. “We are committed to introducing all possible and modern facilities for the convenience of citizens,” Qazi said.
The new process offers significant flexibility. In instances where fingerprint verification encounters a problem—a common issue for manual laborers or the elderly—the system will automatically provide an alternative facial verification option. This dual-layer biometric approach is designed to streamline the application process, reduce the need for in-person visits, and minimize processing delays.
Officials highlighted that the successful resolution of the technical challenges marks a critical upgrade in the country’s digital infrastructure for civil documentation. The collaboration between the Passport Office and NADRA leverages the latter’s extensive biometric database to ensure secure and swift identity confirmation.
The facility is expected to be particularly beneficial for the Pakistani diaspora and older citizens, making the passport renewal and application process more efficient and user-friendly from anywhere in the world.
Meanwhile the Central Association of Traders Balochistan has thrown its full support behind the ongoing strike by goods transporters, warning of severe joint protests if the government fails to immediately withdraw the newly implemented Traffic Ordinance 2025.
The declaration came during a meeting on Friday between traders’ leaders and a delegation from the Balochistan Goods Truck Owners Association at the traders’ central secretariat.
