National Database and Registration Authority has launched a free Proof of Life Certificate service for pensioners, allowing eligible individuals to complete the verification process through the PakID mobile app and other service points across Pakistan. The facility is available through the PakID app, NADRA Registration Centres, Union Councils, e-Sahulat franchises and NADRA mobile services, giving pensioners multiple channels to access the service depending on their circumstances.
The initiative was introduced on the directives of Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control, Ministry of Defence, Controller General of Accounts and Military Accountant General. The service is particularly aimed at elderly, bedridden and differently abled pensioners who may face difficulties travelling to banks or pension offices for recurring Proof of Life verification, addressing a longstanding challenge for citizens who previously had to appear in person to confirm their pension eligibility. Eligible pensioners can use the PakID mobile app to complete the verification process from home, while those unable to use the application themselves can have a family member complete the prescribed identity verification process through the family member’s PakID account and obtain the certificate on their behalf.
Pensioners requiring additional assistance can obtain the certificate free of charge from more than 5,000 e-Sahulat franchises nationwide, while the service is also available at more than 988 NADRA Registration Centres and around 500 Union Councils, where pensioners are being given priority service. NADRA has further extended the facility through Mobile Registration Vans, Biker Service and Main Pack Service for pensioners who have difficulty travelling to service points altogether, broadening access for those in remote or underserved areas.
According to NADRA, the Proof of Life service forms part of a broader reform initiative involving the establishment of a National Pensioners Register, with the first phase covering pensioners administered by Controller General of Accounts and Military Accountant General. The register provides an authenticated digital reference for verifying pensioners’ identities and life status. Under the system, if the death of a primary or secondary pensioner is reported through NADRA’s Death Notification Tool or recorded in the Civil Registration Management System, the relevant pension controller will receive a daily digital notification, while changes affecting eligibility of secondary or family pensioners will similarly be communicated to concerned pension controllers as they are reflected in NADRA’s records. NADRA clarified that decisions regarding the continuation, modification or discontinuation of pensions will remain with the relevant authorised pension authority.
NADRA has also introduced a separate verification service for banks, allowing authorised banks to check pensioners’ Proof of Life status directly through the National Pensioners Register, a move expected to reduce the need for pensioners to repeatedly appear in person or rely on paper based verification for pension payments. NADRA plans to expand the National Pensioners Register in its next phase to cover pensioners of other federal and provincial government institutions, public sector organisations and private sector entities, subject to the completion of required agreements and institutional arrangements, as part of its broader push to modernize pension verification for citizens, pension controllers and banks alike.
Follow the SPIN IDG WhatsApp Channel for updates across the Smart Pakistan Insights Network covering all of Pakistan’s technology ecosystem.
