Punjab makes biometric verification mandatory for certificates
LAHORE: The Punjab government has made biometric verification compulsory for the registration and issuance of birth, death and marriage certificates at union councils across the province.
The new Civil Registration Management System (CRMS) was inaugurated on Friday by Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique. No certificate will now be issued until the applicant’s biometrics are verified against NADRA’s database.
The Punjab biometric certificates system is part of the provincial government’s “Digital Punjab, Transparent Punjab” initiative, and officials say it will close one of the most abused loopholes in civil documentation.
Punjab biometric certificates: how the new system works
The CRMS was developed jointly by the Punjab Local Government Department and NADRA. Before any birth, death or marriage certificate is issued, the applicant must undergo biometric verification matched against NADRA’s national database.
The government says the step will curb fraudulent registrations, including fake birth certificates used to obtain identity documents, and bogus death certificates used in property and inheritance fraud.
The system will roll out in phases across all union councils. Citizens will be able to obtain authentic certificates without recommendations or bribes, the minister said at the launch.
Rafique credited the teams of the local government department and NADRA for building the system. He linked it to Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s vision of delivering public services directly to citizens’ doorsteps.
A familiar model
Punjab is not the first to tie everyday services to biometric checks. Earlier this month, Peshawar made NADRA biometric verification mandatory for Zu Card holders, with a December 31 deadline for compliance.
The logic is the same: biometrics are harder to fake than paper, and linking services to NADRA’s database raises the cost of fraud. Expect the model to spread to more services in the coming months.
For citizens, the practical advice is simple. Keep your NADRA record updated, especially fingerprints, which can fade with age or manual labour. A failed biometric match at a union council will now stop a certificate in its tracks.
Smog season warning
Separately, the minister chaired a meeting at the Suthra Punjab Authority office to review sanitation operations in eight divisions: Gujranwala, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, DG Khan, Bahawalpur, Multan and Faisalabad. Suthra Punjab Director General Umer Javed briefed the meeting over video link.
Rafique directed union council secretaries to personally oversee cleanliness in villages. With smog season approaching, he ordered that the burning of garbage or crop residue be reported immediately. Municipal officers in cities have been assigned ward-level duties, including clearing waste dumped in vacant plots.
The original report on this development was published by ProPakistani.
FAQ
What has changed for birth, death and marriage certificates in Punjab?
Applicants must now pass biometric verification against NADRA’s database before any certificate is issued at a union council, under the new Civil Registration Management System.
Why did Punjab introduce biometric verification?
The government says the move will curb fraudulent registrations, such as fake birth certificates used for identity documents and bogus death certificates used in property fraud.
When will the system reach all union councils?
The CRMS will roll out in phases across all union councils of Punjab. No final completion date has been announced.
