The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) has refused to make its PakID application available for facial-recognition based verification for issuance of SIMs, despite earlier proposing the facility in 2025.
According to a written reply submitted by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to the Senate Standing Committee on Cabinet Division, NADRA had remained engaged with PTA on the matter and a proof of concept for facial-recognition based SIM verification had also been completed by cellular mobile operators (CMOs).
Clarifying the situation to ProPakistani, NADRA has rejected PTA’s claim that it has backed away from the technology. NADRA said it proposed using the PakID app for facial verification for SIM issuance in 2025. A proof of concept was also completed by cellular mobile operators (CMOs).
PTA later said NADRA had changed its position. However, NADRA has disputed PTA. “There has been no withdrawal of facial verification and no reversal of NADRA’s position. What has been clarified is the respective institutional responsibility,” NADRA told ProPakistani.
Everyone Wants to Control it
NADRA said it never proposed PakID as the actual platform for SIM issuance or customer onboarding. PakID was introduced as one way for citizens to obtain a facial-verification result through NADRA’s Multi-Biometric Verification System (MBVS), which could then be used with a regulated organization.
NADRA said its earlier plans also allowed banks and telecom operators to conduct facial or iris verification directly at their outlets after installing suitable equipment.
The authority said the disagreement is not about whether facial recognition works. Instead, it is about who should operate the equipment and who should be responsible for the SIM verification process.
NADRA told ProPakistani, “The issue, therefore, is not whether facial recognition works, but where the capture takes place, who controls the edge environment, and who remains accountable for it.”
Under the new regulations, NADRA said PTA decides what verification requirements apply to SIM issuance, while NADRA provides the identity-verification service and sets the technical and security requirements.
NADRA said this means PakID does not need to become the platform through which telecom operators issue SIMs. On the proof of concept conducted by CMOs, NADRA said its position was not based on any technical failure.
It said demonstrations, consultations and technical discussions had taken place, but detailed results such as success rates and test results should be confirmed by PTA and the participating telecom operators.
Facial Recognition
NADRA also pointed out that facial recognition remains an approved biometric method under its regulations, particularly when fingerprint verification is not possible.
The authority also defended its proposal for telecom operators to use their own hardware. NADRA said, “This is not a transfer of a cost or responsibility previously belonging to NADRA.”
It said telecom operators control their SIM-sale outlets, employees, applications and customer interactions. Therefore, they should also control and secure the equipment used to capture a customer’s biometric data.
Under the proposed setup, the biometric would be captured at the operator’s end, securely sent to the operator’s data center and then transmitted to NADRA for verification.
It said operators would not be allowed to keep customers’ biometric data or create their own biometric databases. “Operator-owned capture equipment does not entitle an operator to create or retain a biometric database,” it said.
The regulations require biometric data to be used only for temporary capture and secure transmission. Facial-recognition devices also cannot store biometric data or related templates.
Involvement of Telcos
NADRA said the system must also have safeguards against deepfakes, biometric substitution, morphing and other attempts to bypass facial verification.
On concerns that requiring telecom operators to install their own infrastructure could delay nationwide rollout, NADRA said the proposed model could actually make the system easier to expand.
It said operators could integrate facial verification into their own franchises, service centers and mobile applications instead of making every SIM transaction dependent on the PakID app.
“The architecture does not prevent rollout. It establishes clear ownership, accountability, security and scalability for that rollout,” it added.
The regulations allow NADRA, in consultation with the relevant regulator, to set a compliance period of up to six months from their notification.
NADRA said it is ready to provide the backend verification system, secure APIs and technical standards, while PTA would decide the verification requirements for the telecom sector and CMOs would implement the required infrastructure.
PTA’s Side of the Story
Meanwhile, PTA said it is reviewing the technical and regulatory implications of NADRA’s proposal with the telecom industry.
The review is being conducted under NADRA’s “Requisite Access to National Data Warehouse” regulations, which were notified on July 28, 2026.
PTA also said nationwide facial-recognition-based SIM verification is being explored through other options.
One cellular operator is already examining the possibility of using facial recognition through its own mobile application. PTA said the technical feasibility of the proposal is being evaluated, after which a proof of concept could be conducted.
Separately, PTA clarified that its role regarding mobile phone taxes is limited to the technical evaluation of devices. The imposition, assessment and collection of duties and taxes fall under the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR).
PTA said it supports rationalizing taxes and duties on mobile phones to make smartphones more affordable while maintaining a balance that supports local manufacturing, discourages illegal imports and helps curb practices such as IMEI tampering.
This entire dialogue shows PTA and NADRA currently stand at polar opposites of the same story. Regulations should be clarified to move forward.
The post NADRA, PTA Fight After U-Turn on PakID App Facial SIM Verification appeared first on ProPakistani.