Package on the cards: Pakistan to issue ID cards to alien citizens

ISLAMABAD: The prime minister chaired a review meeting on facilitating remittances and providing more facilities to Pakistanis abroad under priority sectors. Finance Minister Shaukat Fayyaz Tareen, Special Assistant Dr. Shahbaz Gill, Governor SBP Reza Baqir, Chairman Nadra Muhammad Tariq Malik and other senior officials were present.

The meeting was informed that the Ministry of Finance and SBP were jointly developing a comprehensive package for overseas Pakistanis, which includes not only financial incentives and rewards in proportion to the remittances, but also the opening of beneficiary accounts and remittances. Immediate transfer is also being ensured. A digital application for the system is also under development.

“We are working with nine major national institutions to provide concessions ranging from travel facilities to preparation of identity documents, purchase of essentials, payment of taxes, insurance and children’s education expenses. The work will be completed early next month and the programme will be formally launched,” the meeting was told.

Imran said the Pakistanis living abroad were “our most valuable assets and the rising remittances indicate their confidence in the policies of the government’.

He directed completion of work within the stipulated time frame for these measures and said a portal for redressal of grievances should also be made a part of the plan by formulating a strategy for strict monitoring of the project.

Meanwhile, addressing a function at the Nadra headquarters here, Imran said his government will hold such elections for the first time in the country’s history which will be acceptable to all.

“I think the solution to all the frauds that take place in the society and in the elections is technology. By using both data and technology, we will hold an election for the first time in Pakistan, the results of which will be accepted by all,” he maintained.

He contended that the reason for this would be that the technology would be connected to the data and all the work like stamping, filling ballot boxes, registering fake votes from each house would be done away with.

“As soon as the electronic voting machines came along with the Nadra tele-data, we will hold elections of the 21st century,” he continued. According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office, Prime Minister Imran Khan visited the Nadra headquarters and inaugurated its new mobile registration van project.

He was also briefed about the steps taken for Alien Registration Cards, Pak Code 19 Mobile Vaccination Pass, National Certification and Renewal Campaign and new Nadra registration centers/new mobile registration vans.

Imran also visited the National Data Warehouse and Operations Room. Imran said there were 3.3 million Afghan refugees in the country, with many more unregistered. He pointed out that those having no identity became non-citizens because of issuance of alien registration cards by the Nadra and they will come into the mainstream. “With the help of this card, they will be able to do business, keep money in banks, become part of the economy and avoid illegal activities,” he said.