A NADRA spokesperson said the move follows directives from the prime minister and the interior minister, under which several steps were taken to improve identity verification. Amendments have been made to the National Identity Card rules to broaden the legal definition of biometric verification, formally including facial recognition.
NADRA said it is fully prepared to implement the system and has asked relevant government and private institutions to make the necessary arrangements to recognise facial recognition as a valid verification method.
“The service has already been added as a feature to the Pak-Identity mobile application,” the spokesperson said, adding that once Pakistan’s Digital ID system is formally launched, facial recognition verification will be available directly through the app.
Also read: NADRA to launch facial recognition feature in Jan
From January 20, all NADRA registration centres across the country will start issuing biometric verification certificates based on facial recognition. Under the new procedure, if fingerprint verification fails, the citizen will be directed to the nearest NADRA registration centre for facial recognition.
Once the process is completed, NADRA will issue a biometric verification certificate. Citizens will be able to obtain the certificate when required by paying a nominal fee.
The certificate will carry the individual’s photograph, national identity card number, name, father’s name, a unique tracking ID and a QR code. It will be valid for seven days.
NADRA advised that anyone facing issues with the availability of the service should file a complaint with the relevant institution or department.