KEY POINTS
- QR code becomes legal standard for identity verification, replacing dual microchip and non-microchip cards
- Suspended cards to face immediate halt of all verification and authentication services
- Senior citizens aged 60+ to receive cards with distinct logo and lifetime validity
- Standardised ‘Resident of Azad Jammu and Kashmir’ inscription introduced for AJK cardholders
ISLAMABAD: In a step toward realising the vision of ‘One Nation – One Identity,’ the federal government has notified comprehensive amendments to the National Identity Card Rules, 2002 and the Pakistan Origin Card Rules, 2002, introducing cutting-edge QR-based verification, enhanced fraud controls, and citizen-friendly measures, including lifetime validity cards for senior citizens.
The amendments, formalised through S.R.O. 330(I)/2026 and S.R.O. 331(I)/2026 issued under Section 44 of the NADRA Ordinance, 2000, were published in the Gazette of Pakistan on February 24, 2026.
These changes modernise Pakistan’s identity document framework by legally embedding QR-based verification, strengthening authentication controls across digital services, expanding biometric recognition capabilities, and updating card formats for key citizen categories.
QR code technology becomes legal standard
A cornerstone of the reforms is the statutory introduction of the Quick Response (QR) code as a defined security and verification feature.
The amended rules now legally define the QR code as a secure, machine-readable, two-dimensional barcode capable of storing encoded information and converting it into usable identity verification data when scanned.
The amendments further authorise the use of ‘QR code or any other technological feature’ in lieu of the current microchip, enabling NADRA to adopt evolving verification technologies without requiring repeated rule amendments.
In operational terms, this establishes a robust legal basis for quick and secure verification of identity credentials in both offline and online environments.
Significantly, this will enable all citizens to carry a standardised card instead of the currently prevalent two types of national identity cards, one with a microchip and the other without.
Strengthening Pakistan’s digital ID ecosystem
This QR-enabled capability directly strengthens Pakistan’s Digital ID ecosystem and supports interoperability through the National Data Exchange Layer.
QR-based credentials allow rapid front-end validation of identity attributes in service delivery settings, while also enabling back-end systems to confirm authenticity and status through trusted exchanges.
Officials expect this to improve speed, transparency, and consistency of identity verification across government entities and regulated sectors, reduce manual handling, and substantially lower the risk of fraud and impersonation.
Enhanced fraud controls through service suspension
The amendments also strengthen the enforcement effect of card suspension.
The rules now clarify that where a card is suspended, all verification, authentication, and related services linked to that card shall stand suspended forthwith.
This closes a critical risk area by ensuring that once a card is suspended, it cannot continue to be used through digital verification channels or institutional authentication processes.
Additionally, the biometric scope has been reinforced through explicit recognition of both fingerprints and iris scans within the rules, reflecting a stronger and more modern multi-modal biometric foundation for identity assurance.
Landmark facilitation for senior citizens
On citizen facilitation, the amendments introduce a major improvement for senior citizens.
Where a resident or non-resident citizen has attained the age of sixty years, the rules now provide for the issuance of a card carrying a distinct senior citizen logo with lifetime validity.
This significantly reduces renewal burden, improves convenience, and reflects a service-oriented approach for elderly citizens.
Standardised identification for AJK residents
The amendments also introduce standardised identification for residents of Azad Jammu and Kashmir by requiring an inscription indicating ‘Resident of Azad Jammu and Kashmir’ in the manner specified by the Authority, thereby ensuring uniform geographic identification on the document.
Updated card formats
Finally, the Schedules have been comprehensively updated through the substitution of specimen formats for a wide range of document categories.
Updated smart formats now cover resident citizens, overseas Pakistanis, child registration certificates, persons with disabilities, organ donors, combined categories, and AJK residents.
These updated formats visibly incorporate QR codes and enhanced security layouts, standardising a modern identity document architecture across all categories.
Modernising Pakistan’s identity framework
Overall, these amendments strengthen the legal and technological foundations of Pakistan’s identity system by enabling secure QR-based verification, reinforcing the integrity of digital authentication services, improving biometric assurance, reducing fraud risk through immediate service suspension controls, and delivering clear facilitation measures such as lifetime validity for senior citizens.
They also advance readiness for integrated digital governance by supporting structured interoperability through the National Data Exchange Layer and a broader Digital ID ecosystem, bringing the nation closer to the ‘One Nation – One Identity’ vision.
