According to a written response submitted by PTA to the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Division, NADRA had been working with PTA on facial-recognition-based SIM verification and a proof of concept had also been completed by cellular mobile operators.
NADRA, however, rejected the impression that it had withdrawn its support for the technology. The authority said it had proposed using its PakID app for facial verification for SIM issuance in 2025 and maintained that there had been no reversal of its position.
“There has been no withdrawal of facial verification and no reversal of NADRA’s position,” NADRA told ProPakistani, explaining that the issue was about institutional responsibilities rather than the technology itself.
Who Will Control the System?
NADRA clarified that it never intended PakID to become the actual platform through which telecom companies issue SIMs or onboard customers.
Instead, the app was proposed as one way for citizens to obtain a facial-verification result through NADRA’s Multi-Biometric Verification System (MBVS), which could then be used by regulated organizations.
NADRA also proposed that banks and telecom operators could carry out facial or iris verification directly at their outlets by installing the required equipment.
According to NADRA, the disagreement is therefore not about whether facial recognition works, but about where biometric data should be captured, who controls the equipment and who is responsible for the verification process.
Under the new regulations, PTA determines the verification requirements for SIM issuance, while NADRA provides the identity-verification service and sets the technical and security standards.
NADRA Wants Telcos to Handle Equipment
NADRA said telecom operators already control their SIM outlets, employees, applications and customer interactions, so they should also control and secure the equipment used to capture customers’ biometric information.
Under the proposed model, biometric data would be captured at the telecom operator’s end, securely sent to its data centre and then transmitted to NADRA for verification.
However, telecom companies would not be allowed to retain customers’ biometric information or create their own biometric databases.
NADRA said biometric data would only be used for temporary capture and secure transmission, while facial-recognition devices would not be permitted to store biometric data or templates.
The authority also said the system would need safeguards against deepfakes, biometric substitution, morphing and other attempts to bypass facial verification.
What About the PakID App?
NADRA said requiring telecom operators to install their own infrastructure would not necessarily delay the nationwide rollout of facial verification.
Instead, operators could integrate the technology into their own franchises, service centres and mobile applications, allowing customers to complete verification without making every SIM transaction dependent on the PakID app.
NADRA said it was ready to provide the backend verification system, secure APIs and technical standards, while PTA would determine the requirements for the telecom sector and cellular operators would install the necessary infrastructure.
The regulations allow NADRA, in consultation with the relevant regulator, to provide a compliance period of up to six months after notification.
PTA Reviewing the Proposal
PTA, meanwhile, said it is reviewing the technical and regulatory implications of NADRA’s proposal in consultation with the telecom industry.
The review is being carried out under NADRA’s “Requisite Access to National Data Warehouse” regulations, notified on July 28, 2026.
PTA also said nationwide facial-recognition-based SIM verification could be introduced through other options. One cellular operator is already examining the possibility of integrating facial verification into its own mobile application, with technical feasibility currently being assessed before a possible proof of concept.
The disagreement between the two authorities therefore appears to be less about facial recognition itself and more about who will operate the system, who will control the equipment and who will ultimately be responsible for SIM verification.
