PTA to Enhance Biometric Verification with Facial Recognition and IRIS Technology

Islamabad: The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has announced plans to enhance biometric verification by incorporating facial recognition and iris scanning technology, moving beyond traditional fingerprint-based identification. The initiative, which is part of the National Registration & Biometric Policy Framework, aims to strengthen digital identity verification across the telecom sector.

To facilitate this transition, PTA has established Points of Contact (POCs) between Cellular Mobile Operators (CMOs) and the Ministry of IT & Telecom (MoIT&T), and NADRA, to discuss the implementation of the new verification technique. NADRA has proposed broader biometric security proposals, resulting in new talks about technical capabilities and practical viability.

A consultation meeting has been scheduled on February 13, 2025, at PTA Headquarters (Auditorium), where telecom sector stakeholders will debate the full framework, implementation strategy, and financial requirements of the new biometric verification system.

The PTA has urged key entities to nominate representatives to the meeting by February 12, 2025, to ensure active engagement in determining Pakistan’s future of secure telecom authentication.