ISLAMABAD: Federal Home Minister Mohsin Naqvi on Thursday announced a major overhaul of Nadra services, including the launch of a new mobile application and the establishment of three regional offices in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gwadar and Gilgit-Baltistan.
The Pak-ID website will be officially discontinued starting January 17 and all services will move to the upgraded mobile app.
The decision came in response to challenges faced by citizens, particularly overseas Pakistanis, who struggled with the interface of the websites, including issues with scanning and uploading fingerprints and documents. The closure of the website is also aimed at combating fraudulent activities.
Fraudsters were exploiting fake websites to help create forged identity documents and abusing citizens’ personal information, Minister Naqvi said.
To improve user convenience, Nadra (National Database and Registration Authority) has revamped its mobile application to include all the services previously available on the website. Citizens can now apply for ID cards, NICOP, POC, Form B and FRC from their homes.
In addition to digital advances, three new regional offices will become operational by March 31.
These offices aim to improve service delivery in remote areas, streamline communication between citizens and Nadra officials and ensure faster resolution of complaints.
The minister also revealed that Nadra was on track to establish offices in all tehsils of Pakistan before the same deadline. Only 19 tehsils remain without offices in Nadra and work is progressing rapidly to ensure they are operational by March 31, he added.
The move underlines the government’s commitment to improving accessibility and combating fraud, providing a seamless and secure experience for citizens across the country.
Meanwhile, the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) and Nadra Technologies Limited (NTL) signed a major agreement to improve transparency and efficiency in public procurement processes.
Under this agreement, NTL will provide biometric verification services through over 21,000 Nadra e-SahuIat for suppliers and bidders seeking to register under the e-PAK Acquisition and Disposal System (EPADS).
PPRA Project Director Sheikh Afzaal Rana said that by integrating biometric verification into the EPADS system, “we are taking a proactive approach to combat fraud and ensure the highest standards of integrity in public procurement.”
NTL CEO Muhammad Umar Khan said that by providing secure and reliable biometric verification services, they were confident that this collaboration would significantly contribute to improving the efficiency and transparency of public procurement in Pakistan.
The implementation of this agreement is expected to have a positive impact on the entire public procurement ecosystem and during the first phase around 35,000 bidders/suppliers will be verified.
This figure will increase to 300,000 in the near future.
Also present on the occasion were Chief Technology Officer Hafiz Javed Ahmed, Principal Software Engineer Syed Abid Ali Rizvi, Senior Business Analyst PPRA Warda Tanveer, Director e-Sahulat Irfan Anwar and Deputy Director NTL Malik Saleem. Anwar.
Published in Dawn, January 17, 2025
