The Ministry of Interior ordered all relevant agencies to cease the separation of citizens’ biometric data and begin utilizing one facial recognition program, with full implementation expected to be complete by December 31, 2025.
The order was given at the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) offices in Islamabad during a high-level meeting that was presided over by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
Muhammad Munir Afsar reviewed important issues regarding data management and security. The chairman expressed concern that multiple service providers and governments were storing local databases of citizens’ biometric data, exposing the data to the risk of misuse and theft.
He highlighted that for those challenged by fingerprint verification, it was necessary to utilize NADRA’s verified and secure central database using facial recognition.
It was vital to stop dealing with these faulty verification issues. In an important legislative step, the Interior Minister ordered the immediate blocking of all mobile SIMs issued on expired identity cards.
