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NADRA has introduced a new QR code-based national identity card, allowing citizens to verify their identity through a smartphone using the Pak ID mobile application.
The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has introduced a new national identity card featuring a QR code, allowing citizens to verify their identity through a smartphone.
The new card was unveiled on Pakistan’s Independence Day as part of efforts to modernise the country’s identity verification system and promote greater self-reliance in digital identity services.
Unlike previous smart identity cards, the new card does not contain an embedded chip. Instead, it uses a QR code that can be scanned through a smartphone to verify the cardholder’s identity information.
According to NADRA, citizens will be able to scan the QR code using the Pak ID mobile application. The code will contain relevant identity details along with the cardholder’s photograph, allowing information associated with the identity document to be accessed for verification.
The authority said the QR-based system is intended to make identity verification faster and easier for citizens. It is also designed to reduce errors that can occur when identification information is manually entered.
Details such as a person’s name, address and other identification information can be verified through the QR code, reducing the need for manual data entry during verification processes.
The introduction of the new card represents a shift from chip-based smart identity cards towards QR-enabled identity verification. By using smartphones and the Pak ID application, the system is intended to provide a more accessible method for checking identity information.
NADRA said the new system will improve the effectiveness of identity document verification while making the process more convenient for citizens.
The development forms part of broader efforts to modernise Pakistan’s identity infrastructure through digital technologies. The use of QR codes allows identity information to be accessed through a widely available device, potentially simplifying verification for citizens and organisations.
The QR code-based card also removes the need for an embedded chip, distinguishing it from earlier smart identity cards issued by NADRA.
The authority has positioned the new card as a faster and easier option for identity verification, with the Pak ID mobile application serving as the platform through which citizens can scan and verify the information contained in the QR code.
The launch adds another digital layer to Pakistan’s national identity infrastructure as NADRA continues to introduce technology-based solutions for identity management and verification.
