Under new nationwide service, pensioners can get Proof of Life certificate free of charge, with the option to complete the verification from home through the Pak ID mobile app.
The facility has been introduced on the special directions of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control, the Ministry of Defence, the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) and the Military Accountant General (MAG).
Pak ID app offers the simplest option for pensioners who are comfortable using digital services. They can complete the required identity verification through the app without travelling to a bank or pension office. Those who are unable to use the app themselves do not necessarily have to leave home. A family member can assist by using their own Pak ID account to complete the prescribed verification process for the pensioner.
The change is especially important for elderly, bedridden and differently abled pensioners, for whom travelling to an office just for verification can be physically difficult and stressful.
Pensioners who prefer or require in-person help can access the service at more than 5,000 e-Sahulat franchises across the country, free of charge.
The facility is also available at more than 988 NADRA Registration Centres and around 500 Union Councils. Priority arrangements are being provided to pensioners at these locations, helping them avoid the regular queues.
For people who cannot easily travel even to these centres, NADRA has also made mobile registration vans, biker services and main pack services available.
The Proof of Life facility is part of a larger reform programme under which NADRA has created a National Pensioners Register. During its first phase, the register includes pensioners administered by the Controller General of Accounts (CGA) and the Military Accountant General (MAG).
The idea is to give pension authorities a reliable digital source for confirming a pensioner’s identity and life status. It could also spare families from repeatedly providing the same information to different government departments.
The system can also help authorities respond more quickly when a pensioner dies. If a death is reported through NADRA’s death notification system or entered into the Civil Registration Management System, the relevant pension controller can receive a digital notification.
NADRA has also introduced a verification facility for authorised banks. Through the National Pensioners Register, banks can directly check a pensioner’s Proof of Life status. The overall aim is simple: make pension verification less stressful and reduce the paperwork, queues and unnecessary travel that have traditionally been part of the process.
