LAHORE: The Punjab government introduced a biometric verification system on Friday for the registration and issuance of birth, death, and marriage certificates at union councils.
This initiative aims to curb fraudulent registrations and ensure transparency in the process. Punjab Local Government Minister Zeeshan Rafique inaugurated the new Civil Registration Management System (CRMS), which is part of the government’s ‘Digital Punjab, Transparent Punjab’ initiative.
This system has been developed in collaboration with the Punjab Local Government Department and the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra). It requires biometric verification against Nadra’s database before any certificates are issued.
During the inauguration ceremony, the Minister stated that this initiative aims to provide transparent and accessible public services while eliminating the issuance of fake certificates. He mentioned that the system will be rolled out in phases across all union councils in Punjab, enabling citizens to obtain authentic certificates without needing to rely on recommendations or pay bribes.
He praised the teams from the local government department and Nadra for implementing the system, highlighting that it aligns with Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s vision of delivering public services directly to citizens.
Additionally, the Minister chaired a meeting at the Suthra Punjab Authority Office to review the sanitation operations in Gujranwala, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, DG Khan, Bahawalpur, Multan, and Faisalabad divisions.
Chief Minister’s Focal Person for Suthra Punjab, Asim Mehmood, Local Government Director General Benish Fatima, and all local government and municipal officers attended the meeting via video link where Suthra Punjab Authority Director General Umer Javed briefed the attendees on sanitation efforts.
The Minister emphasised that all union council secretaries should oversee cleanliness in the villages under their jurisdiction. He noted that due to the smog season, municipal staff would conduct field monitoring and urged that any burning of garbage or crop residues should be reported immediately. He added that assistant and deputy directors of local government would also participate in this monitoring process and that municipal officers have been assigned duties at the ward level in cities. Attention should also be given to waste accumulating in vacant plots, he advised.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026