337,000 pensioners obtain proof of life certificates in a month

337, 000 pensioners obtain proof of life certificates in a month.

Key points

• Khan Published September 19, 2026 Updated September 19, 2026 08: 28pm.
• On August 20, Nadra had created the Proof of Life Certificate free for pensioners and expanded access to the document through multiple channels nationwide.
• The Proof of Life certificate service is part of a wider reform under which Nadra has established a National Pensioners Register.
• A separate verification service was created available to banks, allowing authorised banks to check a pensioner's proof-of-life status directly through the National Pensioners Register.
• According to Nadra, the easiest option to obtain the certificate was through the PakID mobile application, through which eligible pensioners could obtain the certificate digitally from home.

Iftikhar A. Khan Published September 19, 2026 Updated September 19, 2026 08: 28pm. Join our Whatsapp Channel. Add Dawn as a trusted source.

ISLAMABAD: More than 337, 000 pensioners have obtained their Proof of Life certificate since its launch by the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) on August 20, 2026, according to official data.

Notably, the certificate is an official document that verifies that a pensioner is alive.

Giving a breakdown of the facility's usage, Nadra remarked 174, 906 pensioners (52 per cent) obtained the certificate through the Pak ID app from home, 134, 521 (40pc) through Nadra Registration Centres, 24, 248 (7pc) through e-Sahulat centres and 3, 585 (1pc) through mobile registration vans.

Pensioners can obtain the certificate online or at the nearest Nadra service channel, according to their convenience, for proof of life, it continued.

According to Nadra, certain elements were deliberately misleading pensioners and called on them not to pay heed to such rumours. Pensioners were pressed to contact the Nadra helpline, their nearest Nadra office or an e-Sahulat centre in case of complaints.

It continued that if a CNIC number was not included in the list of pensioners, the relevant department should be contacted.

Notably, the initiative was introduced on the special directives of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in coordination with the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Defence, Controller General of Accounts (CGA) and Military Accountant General (MAG).

For context, an immediate family member could additionally obtain the certificate on a pensioner's behalf through their own PakID account, subject to the prescribed identity verification process.

For those preferring assisted services, the certificate could be obtained free of charge at more than 5, 000 e-Sahulat franchises and over 988 Nadra Registration Centres and 500 Union Councils, where pensioners are given preferential service without having to wait in the regular queue.

For pensioners unable to reach a service point, Nadra remarked the facility was additionally available through mobile registration vans, biker services and ManPack registration services. It cater to citizens with limited mobility or access.

In practice, the Proof of Life certificate service is part of a wider reform under which Nadra has established a National Pensioners Register. In Phase I, pensioners administered by CGA and MAG have been brought onto the register to provide an authenticated digital reference for identity and life-status verification.

Notably, a separate verification service was created available to banks, allowing authorised banks to check a pensioner's proof-of-life status directly through the National Pensioners Register. Nadra remarked this would provide a digital channel for pension disbursement and reduce reliance on repeated physical or paper-based verification.

After agreements and institutional arrangements had been concluded, the authority projected the register to be expanded in the next phase to include pensioners from other federal and provincial administration organisations, public-sector bodies and private institutions.

Iftikhar A. Khan is an Islamabad-based reporter for Dawn with over three decades of experience in journalism. He covers the parliament, the Election Commission of Pakistan, and the Interior Ministry.

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