NADRA adds family digital IDs, QR verification to PakID as iris use expands

Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has expanded its PakID mobile application with digital family identity credentials, QR-based document verification and mobile biometric verification, adding new functions to a platform that is becoming a gateway to Pakistan’s digital government services.

PakID is NADRA’s official mobile application for identity registration, updates and service tracking. The app has surpassed 18 million downloads, with 8.17 million recorded between November last year and May.

According to an announcement reported by ProPakistani, the newly released PakID version 5.8.0 makes it possible for users to obtain digital ID cards for their spouses and eligible children, which can be stored alongside the user’s own digital ID and presented when needed.

The update also introduces QR-based verification for B-Forms and Identity Card Cancellation Certificates, allowing users to scan the digital QR codes through the PakID application and view the verified information. It also adds biometric verification for influenza and meningitis vaccinations required for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims, which can be completed through the PakID application.

Officials say the three features are the latest in a series of moves by the government to position PakID as a reusable public infrastructure that facilitates access to a wide range of public services. This year, the platform has seen several innovations, including upgrades to digital vehicle and civil registration services, digital identity documents, appointment bookings and remote biometric verification.

The developments give PakID a role beyond that of an application for accessing NADRA’s identity services. The platform is increasingly being used to store and verify digital identity documents and to provide biometric authentication for specific services, pointing towards a model in which the national digital ID infrastructure can be reused across different government services.

Iris scan for minors expands

In another development, NADRA has made iris scanning available for minors under the age of 18, as reported by The Express Tribune.

The expansion, which is available at more than 5,000 counters across the country, is meant to strengthen the identification of children and prevent their identities from being stolen or misused to register another person’s child.

A media director at the ID authority, Shabahat Ali, said photographs and other biometric identifiers would strengthen registration, particularly where existing records do not sufficiently distinguish one child from another.

Biometric fall-back option to drive inclusion

According to NADRA officials, the iris biometric facility is also intended to serve as a fall-back providing an alternative for older people, manual workers and others whose fingerprints are difficult to capture because of illness or skin conditions.

NADRA has informed financial institutions that where fingerprints cannot be obtained because of age, illness or other reasons, an individual can be verified through facial recognition, while the iris provides another unique biometric marker for identification, The Nation reports. Authorities say the alternative could help people who have experienced difficulties accessing banking and other services because of failed fingerprint verification.

The development follows an earlier regulatory change under which Pakistan broadened its definition of biometric identification to recognise facial features and the iris, alongside fingerprints. The emphasis on alternative biometric verification, according to NADRA, is part of efforts to make the country’s identity system more inclusive, while strengthening safeguards around the identification of children.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  iris biometrics  |  NADRA  |  national ID  |  Pak ID  |  Pakistan  |  QR code  |  reusable digital ID