The Government of Pakistan is moving ahead with a major digital reform that will require federal and provincial pensioners to verify their proof of life through a NADRA-linked mobile application before receiving pension payments.
Sources said the State Bank of Pakistan has been asked to direct all commercial banks to integrate their systems with National Database and Registration Authority for digital verification of pensioners.
Under the proposed system, pensioners will use the Pak ID app to update their proof-of-life status, while banks will verify records through NADRA’s e-Sahulat platform.
The framework aims to digitally verify around 1.7 million pensioners using biometric authentication and facial recognition technology.
Officials said pension eligibility will be confirmed through NADRA’s Proof of Life Certificate (POLC) and Family Registration Certificate (FRC) systems before pension funds are disbursed.
Commercial banks across Pakistan will be required to connect their branches with NADRA’s “Nishan Pakistan” API system and the e-Sahulat application to enable automated verification before payment processing.
The initiative is being implemented under earlier policy directives issued by the Prime Minister’s Office.
Sources said several parts of the policy have already been implemented, while banking system integration remains under process. Once fully operational, the system will enable complete digital verification to ensure pension payments are issued only to eligible recipients.
Approval has also been sought from the Finance Division for a revised financial model under which NADRA may waive certain charges related to the Proof of Life system through a cost-optimized integration of POLC and FRC services.
Officials said the digital system is expected to improve transparency, reduce manual verification procedures, and modernize pension disbursement mechanisms across the country.
