ISLAMABAD: The federal government has formally upgraded the National Identity Card (NIC) and Pakistan Origin Card (POC) frameworks under its vision of “One Nation – One Identity,” introducing sweeping digital reforms to modernise the country’s identity system.

The amendments, issued through S.R.O. 330(I)/2026 and S.R.O. 331(I)/2026 and published in the Gazette on February 24, 2026, introduce QR-based verification, enhanced biometric features, stronger fraud controls and improved citizen facilitation.

A key highlight of the reforms is the legal introduction of the Quick Response (QR) code as a security and authentication feature across identity documents. The updated rules define the QR code as a secure, machine-readable, two-dimensional barcode that stores encoded identity information and enables instant verification upon scanning.

The amendments also authorise the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) to use “QR code or any other technological feature,” ensuring that Pakistan’s ID infrastructure can evolve with emerging innovations without the need for repeated legal changes.

Under the new framework, citizens will carry a uniform NIC, replacing the previously parallel chip-enabled and non-chip formats. The QR-coded architecture strengthens Pakistan’s digital ID ecosystem and aligns with the National Data Exchange Layer, enabling rapid offline and online verification, faster service delivery, reduced manual checks and significantly lower risks of fraud or impersonation.

The government has also tightened fraud prevention mechanisms. According to the revised rules, once an identity card is suspended, all related verification and authentication services are automatically halted, blocking any attempt to use the suspended credential across digital or institutional channels.

Biometric security has been further strengthened, with the rules now explicitly recognising fingerprints and iris scans as formal modalities of authentication, reinforcing the shift toward multi-modal biometric identification.

In a major facilitation step, citizens aged 60 and above — whether resident or overseas — will be issued lifetime-validity ID cards carrying a distinct senior citizen logo, eliminating the need for repeated renewals.

The amendments also introduce standardised identification for individuals belonging to Azad Jammu and Kashmir, requiring their cards to include a specific inscription defining their residency status.

To complete the modernisation drive, the government has updated specimen formats for all major ID categories, including resident citizens, overseas Pakistanis, persons with disabilities, child registration certificates, organ donors, combined categories and AJK residents. The new formats unify design standards and embed QR-based security as a core feature.

Overall, the 2026 amendments aim to strengthen the backbone of Pakistan’s national identity system by enhancing digital trust, preventing fraud, enabling real-time verification and advancing readiness for future digital governance through a secure and interoperable identity architecture.